MASTER 

NEGA  TIVE 
NO.  91-80170 


MICROFILMED  1991 
COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES/NEW  YORK 


as  part  of  the 
Foundations  of  Western  Civilization  Preservation  Project" 


Funded  by  the 
NATIONAL  ENDOWMENT  FOR  THE 


S 


Reproductions  may  not  be  made  without  permission  from 

Columbia  University  Library 


COPYRIGHT  STATEMENT 

The  copyright  law  of  the  United  States  -  Title  17,  United 
States  Code  ~  concerns  the  making  of  photocopies  or  other 
reproductions  of  copyrighted  material... 

Columbia  University  Library  reserves  the  right  to  refuse  to 
accept  a  copy  order  if,  in  its  judgement,  fulfillment  of  the  order 
would  involve  violation  of  the  copyright  law. 


AUTHOR: 


FISHER,  MICHAEL 

MONTGOMERY 


TITLE: 


THE  THREE 
PRONUNCIATIONS 


PLACE: 


HE\N  YORK 


DA  TE : 


1885 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
PRESERVATION  DEPARTMENT 

BIBLIOGRAPHIC  MirROFORM  TARHFT 


Master  Negative  # 


Original  Material  as  Filmed  -  Existing  Bibliographic  Record 


[677.16 
F53 


Fisher,  Michael  Montgomery,  1834-1891. 

The  three  pronunciations  of  Latin :  the  claims  of  each 
presented,  and  reasons  given  for  the  use  of  the  English 
mode.  By  M.  M.  Fisher  ...  3d  ed.  (rev.  and  enl.)  New 
York,  D.  Appleton  and  company,  1885. 

229  p.    19i- 


Restrictions  on  Use: 


1.  Ijtgtin  language—Pronunciation. 

Library  of  Congress  f        )    PA2117.FS    1885 

©1885:5742 


10-289031 


FILM     SIZE:  3 


TECHNICAL  MICROFORM  DATA 


^^^         ^  REDUCTION     RATIO:      1/ 

IMAGE  PLACEMENT:    lA  ^A)   IB     IIB  

DATE     FILMED:_^^i2:.2/_ INITIALS.:>2?.'jS^ 

FILMED  BY:    RESEARCH  PUBLICATIONS.  INC  WOODBRIDGE.  CT 


<J>. 


c 


Association  for  Information  and  Imago  Managomont 

1100  Wayne  Avenue.  Suite  1100 
Silver  Spring.  Maryland  20910 

301/587-8202 


Centimeter 


iiii 


1         2        3        4        5        6        7        8 

llllilllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllMlllllllllllhllllMlllMllillll 


9       10       n       12       13       14       15   mm 


iiiliiiiliiiiliiiiliiiiliiiiliiiiliinli 


iUlUUWUWUMWWiw 


Milium 


Inches 


1 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


IA5 

156 

163 

LZi 


■tuu 


2.8 

3.2 

3.6 
|4X) 


1.4 


25 
2.2 

2.0 


1.8 


1.6 


1 


MRNUFflCTURED  TO  OHM  STRNDRRDS 
BY  RPPLIED  IMAGE.  INC. 


■j;^.  .. '^•V'  •••i^flrs'V- 


<-:f. 


CSi^-'^r 


•\f.-^: 


'iVeS.-- 


S^J 


-K 


,  "V??- 


„,,,.^i^,.«3h..**-<r 


>!«Mfiafe:s;igtiLi^^5^^ 


Clacs 


877.15 


Columbia  College  Library 

Madison  Av.  and  49th  St.  New  York. 


Btside  the  main  topic  thu  book  also  treats  of 
SMbjeciNo.  Onpagt    I    Subject  No, 


On^agt 


if 


^i 


(::. 


I 


\% 


\ 


i\ 


I 


I 


THE 


THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS 


OF 


LATIN: 


/ 


THE  CLAIMS  OF  EACH  PRESENTED, 

▲KD 

SPECIAL  REASONS  GIVEN  FOR  THE  USE  OF  THE 


ENGLISH  MODE. 


BT 


M.  M.   FISHER,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 

PBOnWSOB  OF  LATIN  IN  TH«  UNITKBaiTT  OF  THE  STAT.  OF  WSSOUBI. 

COLUMBIA,  MO. 


K 


THIBD  EDITION  {REVISED  AND  ENLAEGEDA 


D. 


NEW  YORK : 
APPLETON    AND    COMPANY, 

1,  8^  AHB  5  BOND  STBEET. 
1886. 


.  X 


\\ 


COPTBIOHT,  1879,  1885, 

bt  m.  m.  fisher. 


.^ 


0 

CO 


PREFACE. 


€0 


Foe  more  than  a  score  of  years  my  time  has  been 
spent  in  the  class-room  in  the  department  of  Latin. 
Thousands  of  young  men,  within  the  period  named, 
have  received  their  training,  to  some  extent  at  least, 
at  my  hands.  Many  of  these,  in  their  labors  as  teach- 
ers, have  under  their  care  the  ancient  languages. 
Inquiries  as  to  methods  of  teaching  and  pronunci- 
ation have  become  so  frequent  as  to  call  for  the  pub- 
lication of  an  article  which  might  be  sent  to  those 
interested,  and  a  correspondence  be  thus  avoided, 
which  might  otherwise  prove  burdensome.  This 
state  of  facts  will,  in  large  part,  explain  the  origin 
and  elementary  character  of  this  discussion. 

It  is  natural,  too,  that  persons  engaged  in  teach- 
ing, adopting  to  some  extent  the  modes  of  former 
instructors,  should  wish  to  know  somewhat  fully 
the  reasons  which  influenced  those  instructors  in 
the  course  they  were  pleased  to  pursue.* 

The  first  edition  of  "The  Three  Pronuncia- 

*  First  edition. 


/ 


> 

i 


O 


111334 


^ 


/ 


4  PREFACE. 

TiONS  OF  Latin  "  has  been  exhausted  for  some  months 
past.  The  present  enlarged  edition  has  been  brought 
out,  to  a  very  considerable  extent,  from  the  influence 
of  teachers  and  scholars  in  various  parts  of  our  coun- 
try, whose  letters  on  the  subject  manifest  deep  in- 
terest in  the  pronunciation  of  the  Latin  tongue.  The 
hope  is  indulged,  therefore,  that  the  work,  in  the  form 
now  offered,  may  not  only  tend  to  answer  inquiries 
alluded  to  above,  but  also  that  it  may  not  be  unac- 
ceptable to  teachers  in  general,  who  are  engaged  in 
giving  instructions  in  this  department  of  study.* 


♦  Second  edition. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITIOK 


Publishing  a  new  edition  has  furnished  an  op- 
portunity to  make  some  improvement  in  this  work 
which,  through  the  kindness  of  scholars  and  teachers 
throughout  our  country,  seems,  for  a  third  time,  to 
be  in  demand. 

The  following  points  in  the  new  edition  may  be 
noticed  :  1.  Much  new  matter  that  may  be  deemed 
of  great  value  has  been  added  ;  2.  For  convenience 
of  reference,  the  book  has  been  thrown  into  sec- 
tions, which  have  been  numbered ;  3.  Some  errors 
which  found  their  way  into  the  second  edition  have 
been  corrected;  4.  As  teachers  manifest  a  desire  to 
use  the  work  as  a  text-book,  an  attempt  has  been 
made  to  adapt  it  more  perfectly  to  class-room  work  ; 
6.  The  statistics  of  American  institutions  have,  as  far 
as  possible,  been  brought  down  to  date,  though  little 
change  has  occurred  in  five  years  past ;  6.  The  latest 
information  touching  Latin  pronunciation  in  Eng- 
land has  been  embodied. 

The  author  takes  pleasure  in  acknowledging  spe- 
cial indebtedness  to  S.  S.  Laws,  LL.  D.,  President  of 


\ 


6 


PREFACE. 


the  University  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  whose  invent- 
ive genius,  vast  erudition,  and  great  executive  ability, 
rank  him  Among  the  first  men  of  his  day,  and  whose 
friendship  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  writer  es- 
teems one  of  the  great  blessings  of  his  life.  Had  it 
not  been  for  the  encouragement  given  by  this  dis- 
tinguished educator,  the  present  unpretending  work, 
and  larger  works  which  may  soon  follow,  might  never 
have  been  undertaken.  Sincere  thanks  are  due  the 
eminent  Cambridge  (England)  scholar,  E.  R.  Hum- 
phreys, LL.  D.,  now  of  Boston,  a  gentleman  deserved- 
ly celebrated  for  his  thorough  preparation  of  students 
for  the  American  and  English  universities  ;  a  gentle- 
man, too,  who  has  done  high  honor  both  to  his  native 
and  also  to  his  adopted  country.  Most  valuable  sug- 
gestions and  materials  have  been  furnished  by  some 
of  my  colleagues  in  the  university  faculty,  more  es- 
pecially by  Professor  J.  S.  Blackwell,  Ph.  D.,  of  the 
chair  of  Oriental  and  Modern  Languages  ;  by  Pro- 
fessor D.  R.  McAnally,  A.  M.,  of  the  chair  of  Eng- 
lish Literature  ;  and  by  Professor  J.  C.  Jones,  A.  M., 
assistant  in  the  Ancient  Languages.  Cordial  thanks 
are  rendered  to  many  scholars  throughout  the  coun- 
try for  their  kind  interest  in  the  work.  In  the 
course  of  this  third  edition  I  have  taken  the  liberty 
of  making  brief  appropriations  from  correspondents, 
with  proper  acknowledgments. 

Ck)LUlfBU,  MissocTii,  July  j?,  188J^ 


M.  M.  Fisher. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAcn 

The  Three  Methods :  Continental— Roman—English        .        .11 

CHAPTER  II. 

Continental  system  examined — Its  various  phases — American 
Continental — Erasmus — Eschenburg — Professor  Everett — 
J.  F.  Richardson — ^Pronunciation  in  Hungary — Professor 
Haldeman—"  Globe-Democrat " 20 


CHAPTER  in.     ' 

Roman  method:  Its  claims — Its  foundation— Evidence— Do 
we  know  the  true  ancient  pronunciation  of  Latin  ? — Shall 
we  adopt  the  so-called  Roman  mode  as  now  presented  ? — 
Difficulties  surrounding  the  first  inquiry— Time— Difficulty 
of  inventing  phonetic  systems — Brambach  on  orthography 

Foreign  languages  in  general— French — Greek  language 

Erasmus  and  Professor  Blackie — Reuchlin — Kendrick — 

Differences  among  the  Romans  themselves — Professor 
Blackwell— Hebrew— Arabic— C  in  French,  Spanish,  Port- 
uguese, Italian ^ 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Specimen  arguments  in  behalf  of  the  so-called  Roman  method : 
Klapp— Roby  and  Blair— Reply— Professor  Tetlow  on  v— 
Professors  Blackwell  and  Haldeman  on  e  and  ^— Max  Miil- 
ler  on  c— J.  H.  Allen  on  c,  ^,  t»,  ^,  «e,  t>    .        .        .        .    69 


8 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Schemes  of  the  Roman  method  :  Haldeman  and  Richardson — 
Tafcl— Roby— W.  G.  Richardson— "  The  International"— 
PH,  TH,  CH  (Roby) — Want  of  harmony — Vowel-sounds  in 
general— AK — Twining— Gildersleevc — Blair— oe — Richard- 
son— V — ^A.  J.  Ellis — Different  opinions — m,  ph,  th,  ch— 
Haldeman  and  Jex-Blake — Differences  of  opinion  among 
the  earlier  and  later  writers  on  the  "  Roman  "  side — c  be- 
fore c,  t,  and  y  =  to ,        .73 

CHAPTER  VI. 

What  the  ablest  advocates  of  the  Roman  mode  claim  for  it 
now — Professors  Tracy  Peck,  Tetlow,  and  others— French 
from  books  alone — Latin  pronunciation  from  books  alone 
— ^Blair  on  oe— Opinion  of  J.  H.  Allen— Principal  of  Eton 
College — Conclusion  from  foregoing  statements— Class- 
room differences — ^Princeton — Kentucky  University — Johns 
Hopkins — Prof essorMc Anally— Second  question  answered 
in  the  negative — Cause  of  want  of  harmony       .        .        .98 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

Usage  in  America :  Professor  Richardson  and  Bureau  of  Edu- 
cation— Classification  of  American  universities  and  colleges 
as  to  the  mode  employed — Phillips  Academy — Why  the  so- 
called  Roman  mode  has  been  adopted  by  some — Professor 
Thacher*s  opinion— Also  that  of  Professor  Harrison  .        .  108 

CHAPTER  Vin. 

Usage  in  England :  Letters  from  European  scholars — Rugby 
—Merchant  Taylors*  School,  London— St.  Peter's  College, 
Weatmmster — Shrewsbury  School — Harrow— Eton— Ox- 
ford University— The  so-called  Roman  mode  a  failure  in 
England— Trinity  College,  Dublin— Italy— Dr.  Hogo— Let- 
ter from  Dr.  E.  R.  Humphreys,  June  21,  1884   ,        .        .124 


It  ' 


CONTENTa 


CHAPTER  IX. 


9 


PAOB 


The  English  system:  Special  reasons  for  its  use — 1.  English 
etymology — 2.  Accuracy  in  pronouncing  English — 3.  Latin 
and  Greek  proper  names — i.  Law  terms,  phrases,  and 
maxims — The  medical  profession — The  apothecary — Zool- 
ogy— Botany — 6.  The  new  pronunciation  revolutionary — Dr. 
E.  R.  Humphreys — 6.  The  so-called  Roman  and  the  spelling 
reform — 7.  The  reformed  method  would  not  render  Eng- 
lish-speaking Latinists  intelligible  all  over  the  world — 8. 
The  reformed  method  involves  a  ruinous  waste  of  time — 
9.  The  argument  in  reference  to  comparative  philology  an- 
swered— 10.  The  Reformation  divorces  us  from  scholarly 
communion  with  the  past — 11.  The  English  mode  tends  to 
make  the  Latin  a  living  language— 12.  No  living  man 
knows  how  the  Romans  pronounced  their  language — ^The 
claims  of  the  reformers  not  allowed— Their  system,  as  it 
now  stands,  conventional,  and  a  compromise  among  schol- 
ars—The phonetic  idea  has  been  sacrificed,  at  least  in 
part 

CHAPTER  X. 

Mr.  J.  H.  Allen's  skepticism  touching  the  Roman  mode— Origin 
of  phrase  "  Roman  method  "—Mr.  Allen's  "  query  "  in  f  uU— 
«i  9,  V,  grty  «c,  i— Prof essor  Tetlow's  reply  to  Mr.  Allen,  and 
the  latter's  rejoinder— Both  these  scholars  have  been  classed 
on  the  "Roman  sides'—President  Law's  letter— "New 
York  School  Journal "—"  Inter-Ocean  "—"  New  England 
Journal"— Dr.  Fairbairn— Dr.  Coit— Mr.  Wells— Professor 
Hopkins— Dr.  Orcutt— Conclusion 181 

Appendix. — Pronunciation  at  Harvard 228 


139 


THE 


THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  UTIN. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  THEEE  PEONUNCIATIOl^S. 

Theee  are  three  methods  of  pronouncing  Latin 
in  use  in  the  United  States,  all  of  which  are  regarded 
as  scholarly — viz.,  the  Continental,  the  Roman,  and 
the  English. 

THE  CONTINENTAL  METHOD.* 

1.  Among  the  nations  of  Continental  Europe  there 
are  great  diversities  in  the  pronunciation  of  Latin,  each 
one  pronouncing  according  to  the  analogy  of  its  own 
language.  For  a  fuller  discussion  of  this  method,  see 
Chapter  IL  This  system,  as  usually  taught  in  Amer- 
ica, differs  widely  from  every  variety  of  the  Con- 
tinental, as  taught  on  the  Continent  of  Europe. 

♦  Professor  Harkness  (p.  8,  "  Standard  Grammar  ")  says  that  the 
Continental,  as  adopted  in  this  country,  takes  the  Roman  pronuncia- 
tion of  vowels  and  diphthongs  and  the  English  pronunciation  of  the 
consonants.  In  a  foot-note  he  says ;  "  Though  the  pronunciation  of 
the  consonants  varies  somewhat  in  different  institutions.**  Might 
not  the  same  statement  be  made  of  the  diphthongs,  and  especially  of 
oet  Does  the  Continental  in  American  institutions  give  the  sound 
of  oi  in  coin  to  the  diphthong  oe  ? — Orammar^  sections  6,  6,  13. 


12         THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

2.  The  vt)wel  sounds  alone,  or  as  heard  at  the  end 
of  a  syllable,  are  given  in  the  following  table  : 


VOWELS. 

» 

Long, 

SlioH, 

a  =  a  in  father. 

&  =  a  in  hat. 

e  =  ey  in  they. 

S  =  e  in  met. 

i  =  i  in  machine. 

i  =  i  in  sit. 

6  =  0  in  go. 

6  =  0  in  not. 

u  =  u  in  rule. 

u  =  in  tub. 

DIPHTHONGS. 

ae  =  ey  in  they. 

oe  =  ey  in  they. 

au  =  ou  in  our. 

eu  =  eu  in  feud 

ei  =  i  in  ice. 

A  and  e  have  the  same  sound  in  all  situations. 

The  vowels  t,  o,  and  u  are  modified  when  followed 
by  a  consonant  in  the  same  syllable,  and  the  sound  is 
the  same  whether  the  vowel  is  long  or  short.  For 
instance : 

i  in  mittit  =  i  in  sit.       o  in  poterat  =  o  in  not, 
u  in  fructus  =  u  in  tub. 


^ 


THE  CONSONANTS. 

3.  These  are  sounded  in  the  main  as  in  English. 

C  and  g  are  hard  =  c  in  cat  and  g  in  got,  before  a, 
0,  and  u. 

But  c  =  5,  and  g  =j  before  c,  t,  y,  ae  and  oe. 

S  invariably  has  the  hissing  sound,  and  never  that 
of  z. 

This  view  of  the  Continental  System  is  substan- 
tially that  given  in  the  Grammar  of  Bullions  and 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS. 


13 


I 


Morris,  edition  of  1869.     See  also  King's  "  Latin 
Pronunciation,"  1880. 

ROMAN  METHOD. 

This  is  called  by  some  the  Latin  Method  ;  by  others, 
the  Restored,  or  the  Reformed  Method ;  and  by  others 
still,  the  Phonetic  Method. 

4.  Its  leading  features  are  as  follows : 

SOUNDS  OF  THE  VOWELS. 

ft  =  a  in  father.       '  o  =  o  in  bone,  tone. 

e  =  e  in  prey.  u  =  u  in  rude. 

i  =  i  in  caprice,  ravine,      y  =  u  in  sur  (French). 

Y  is  found  only  in  Greek  words,  and  it  was  sound- 
ed as  an  intermediate  between  the  u  and  the  i. 

The  short  vowels  differed  from  the  long,  not  in 
the  quality  of  the  sound,  but  only  in  being  less  pro- 
longed. The  true  theory  of  this  method  is  that  the 
vowels  had  but  one  sound. 

Scholars  ♦  who  attempt  to  represent  the  short 
vowels  by  English  equivalents,  do  it  thus  : 

ft  =  a  in  past.  5  =  o  in  obey. 

S  =  e  in  pet.f  u  =  u  in  pull, 

i  =  i  in  pit,  or  ratify.  J      y  =  u  in  sur  (French).** 

To  sound  y,  put  the  moT^th  in  the  oo  position,  and 
say,  ee, 

*  Gildersleeve,  on  page  8  of  his  Grammar,  edition  of  187Y,  re- 
marks :  "  The  short  sounds  are  only  less  prolonged  in  pronunciation 
than  the  long  sounds,  and  have  no  exact  English  equivalents.'* 

f  "  e  in  met^  lengthened  "  (Roby). 
X  "  ei  in  deceit "  (Haldeman). 

•  "  y  as  Gcr.  u,  but  inclining  to  t — e.  g.,  Muller^  which  is  nearer 
to  Miller  than  Muller  "  (Roby). 


14 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS. 


15 


DIPHTHONGS. 

6.  In   pronouncing  diphthongs,   let  each  vowel 
have  its  own  sound.     Let  the  utterance  be  rapid, 
ae  =  aye  =  English  i.  eu  =  eh-oo  ;  or  ew  in  few. 
au  =  ou  in  our.  oe  =  oi  in  coil, 

ei  =  ei  in  rein.  ui  =  ui  in  suite,  or  =we  (oo-ee). 

Scholars  do  not  agree  as  to  the  sounds  of  some  of 
the  diphthongs.     This  is  especially  true  of  ae  and  oe, 
Koby  says  cp  =  a  in  bat  (lengthened),  or  bath. 
Blair  says  (b  =  ai  in  lair,  or  a  in  late. 
Harkness  says  cb  =  aye  =  English  i. 
Gildersleeve  says  cp  =  ce  in  Gramme  =  a  in  fame, 
Blair  gives  oe  =  o  in  world  or  i  in  whirl, 
Gildersleeve,  oe  =  ae  in  Graeme  =  a  in  fame, 
Harkness,  oe  =  oi  in  coin  .=■  oi  in  coil. 
Haldeman,  oe  =  vowel  sound  in  showy  ; 
and  says :  "If  showy  and  clayey  were  monosyllables, 
they  would  contain  the  Latin  OE  and  Ei."    Among 
others,  he  quotes  these  two  lines  from  **  Living  Latin  "  : 

**  To  these  wo  add  that  English  words  like  showy 
Contain  the  Portuguese  and  Latin  oe." 

CONSONANTS. 

6.  The  consonants  are  pronounced  as  in  English, 
with  seven  exceptions : 

c  =  k.  t  is  hard  ;  =  t  in  hat. 

g  =  g  in  get.  V  =  w  in  wino  ;  vici  =  wee-kee.* 

j  =  y ;  jam  =  yam.  r  must  be  trilled ;  =  r  in  ferry. 
8  =  s  in  so. 

*  Those  who  desire  to  investigate  this  method  further  may  con- 
sult chapters  iii,  i7,  and  v,  of  this  work ;  also  Corssen's  "  Ueber 


There  are  no  silent  letters  ;  psallo,  p  and  s  are  both 
Bounded.  Consult  the  grammars  of  Bartholomew  and 
Gildersleeve. 

ENGLISH  METHOD. 

7.  By  this  method  the  letters  are  sounded  as  in  Eng- 
lish. In  other  words,  every  Latin  word  is  pronounced 
as  the  same  combination  of  letters  would  be  in  Eng- 
lish. This  is  the  general  and  fundamental  principle 
underlying  the  system.  The  above  rule  is  believed  to 
be  all  that  is  needed  for  practical  purposes  by  English- 
speaking  students. 

Those  who  desire  to  handle  the  subject  with  criti- 
cal accuracy  would  do  well  to  fix  attention  on  the  fol- 
lowing particulars  : 

I.  duantity  of  the  Penult. 
II.  The  accented  syllables. 
m.  The  division  of  words  into  syllables. 

8.  I.  The  Penult  of  a  word  is  the  last  syllable 
but  one  ;  the  Antepenult  is  the  last  but  two.  In  the 
grammars  commonly  used  throughout  the  country, 
long  vowels  are  marked  as  nos  and  short  vowels  as  ad, 
except  when  the  following  rules  can  be  applied  : 

a,  A  vowel  before  another  vowel,  or  a  diphthong, 
or  the  letter  h,  is  short ;  as,  u  in  tua,  i  in  mihi, 

b,  A  vowel  before  j,  x,  z,  or  any  two  consonant 

Aussprache,  Vokalismus  und  Betonung  der  Lateinischen  Sprache  " ; 
Roby*8  "Latin  Grammar,"  vol.  i;  "Syllabus  of  Latin  Pronuncia- 
tion," by  Professors  Munro  and  Palmer;  Haldeman's  "  Latin  Pronun- 
ciation " ;  Blair's  "  Latin  Pronunciation  " ;  J.  F.  Richardson's  "  Ro- 
man Orthoepy  "  ;  "  Some  Practical  Hints  on  the  Quantitative  Pro- 
nunciation of  Latin,"  A.  J.  Ellis ;  King's  "  Latin  Pronunciation."  On 
the  letter  y,  sec  Roby,  voL  i,  pp.  xliii-lii,  1,  chap.  iv. 


16 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


Bounds,  except  the  last  be  I  or  r,  is  long  ;  as,  e  in  rexity 
a  in  magna,  o  in  Troja, 

c.  A  vowel  before  a  mute  followed  by  /  or  r  is 
common  ;  as,  a  in  dgri. 

The  marks  in  ordinary  use,  or  the  application  of 
the  rules  just  given,  will  enable  the  student  to  deter- 
mine the* quantity  of  the  Penult. 

9.  II.  In  words  of  two  syllables  the  Penult  is  al- 
ways accented,  no  matter  what  the  length  may  be  ; 
as,  p^'4r,  vo'-lo.  In  words  of  more  than  two  sylla- 
bles, the  Penult,  if  long,  is  accented  ;  if  the  Penult  is 
short,  the  Antepenult  is  accented ;  as,  mm-dV-cus, 
rus'4i'Cus,  d6m'-i-nii8,  vdl'-tl-crts. 

There  are  three  exceptions  to  the  rule  given  : 

1.  Genitives  of  the  Second  Declension  in  i  for  ii, 
and  Vocatives  of  the  same  Declension  in  i  for  i^,  ac- 
cent a  short  Penult ;  as  in-gS'-ni  for  in-gS'-nii  ;  Vir- 
gV'll  for  Vir-gW-i-L 

2.  Fa'-cio  retains  its  own  accent  when  compound- 
ed with  any  word  except  a  preposition  ;  as,  com-mdn- 
S-fd'-ciL 

3.  A  short  final  syllable  followed  by  an  enclitic 
receives  the  accent ;  as,  quia'-nL  This  last  excep- 
tion applies  to  all  three  systems  of  pronunciation . 

Here  we  must  be  allowed  to  dissent  from  the  rule 
laid  down  by  nearly  all  grammarians — namely,  that  a 
short  syllable  followed  by  an  enclitic  should  receive 
the  accent ;  as,  prim&'-qu^.  This  word  would  not  be 
so  pronounced  if  simple,  and  why  should  it  be  when 
compound  ?  (Roby,  p.  75  ;  also  Chap.  XIII,  Book  L) 

10.  III.  In  Latin  words  there  are  as  many  sylla- 
bles as  there  are  separate  vowels  and  diphthongs. 

fl.  A  single  consonant  after  an  accented  vowel 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS. 


17 


• 


must  be  joined  to  it ;  as,  gen'-^-ri.  This  law  is  uni- 
versal, except  in  the  Penult ;  after  the  vowel  u  ;  and 
also  after  a,  e,  and  o,  when  these  vowels  precede  a 
consonant  followed  by  e,  i,  or  y  before  another  vowel ; 
as,  Jio'-ra;  con'Su'-U-bus ;  do'-ce-o,  me-di-d'-tor,  pa'- 
tri'US,  mo-ne-d'-mus.  In  all  these  exceptions,  a  mute 
with  Z  or  r  falls  under  the  same  rule  as  a  singte  conso- 
nant ;  as,  Oe-no'-tri-a,  In  iibi  and  sibi  the  consonant 
must  be  joined  to  the  first  vowels  ;  tib4,  sib-i, 

THE  VOWELS. 

11.  A  vowel  has  the  long  English  sound  : 

1.  When  it  ends  a  word. 

In  words  of  more  than  one  syllable,  a  final  has  the 
sound  of  a  in  comma.  Some  scholars  sound  final  a 
in  monosyllables  in  the  same  way. 

2.  "When  it  ends  any  syllable  ;  as,  mV-hi. 

In  tibi  and  sibi,  i  in  both  syllables  =  i  in  pity. 

12.  DIPHTHONGS. 

ae  =  e  in  mete.  oe  =  e  in  mete. 

au  =  aw  in  law.  en  =  eu  in  neuter. 

Ei  and  oi  are  not  often  diphthongs  ;  but  when 
they  are 

ei  =  ei  in  height.  oi  =  oi  in  coin. 

ui  =  i  in  kite. 

A  syllable  ending  with  a  consonant  has  the  short 
English  sound  ;  as,  his  =  hiss  ;  b5nis  =  boniss. 


1.  Es  final : 

2.  Os  final 
plurals. 


ExceptioM, 

ease  ;  ru-pes  =  ru-pez. 

:  ose  in  dose.     This  applies  only  to 


18         THE  THIIEE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

3.  Post,  alone  or  in  compounds,  has  the  long 
sound ;  but  its  derivatives  the  short  sound. 

(«.)  When  i  follows  a,  e,  o,  or  y  accented  and  is 
followed  by  another  vowel,  it  takes  the  sound  of  y  in 
yet ;  as,  Maia  =  Md'-ya  ;  Troia  =  Trb'-ya. 

{b,)  A  after  qu  and  followed  by  dr  or  rt  is  pro- 
nounced as  in  quarter. 

(c.)  Before  final  r,  or  r  followed  by  another  conso- 
nant, e,  i,  and  u  arc  sounded  as  in  her,  fir,  and  purr. 

CONSONANTS. 

13.  The  consonants  in  general  are  pronounced  as 
in  English.  Attention  may  be  given  to  the  following 
points : 

a.  C  and  g  are  soft,  like  .<r  and  j,  before  e,  i,  y,  ac, 
and  oe  ;  in  other  situations  hard ;  as,  ce'do  =  se'-do  ; 
ca'do  =  ha' do. 

h.  C  before  t,  preceded  by  an  accented  vowel  and 
followed  by  another  vowel  and  also  before  eu  and  yo, 
after  an  accented  vowel,  takes  the  sound  of  sU ;  as, 
socius  =  so-she-us;  caduceus  =  ca-du'-she-us. 

c.  Ch  always  =  k. 

d.  8  at  the  end  of  a  word  after  e,  ae,  au,  b,  m,  n, 
r,  is  like  z. 

e.  S  and  t  before  t,  after  an  accented  syllable  and 
followed  by  a  vowel,  have  the  sound  of  sh  ;  x  in  the 
same  situation  takes  the  sound  of  JcsJi ;  as  par'tium  = 
par'-she-um  ;  anxius  =  ank'-she-us. 

f.  O  before  g  soft  takes  the  soft  sound  ;  as,  ag'ger 
=  af'jer. 

g.  X  at  the  beginning  of  a  word  has  the  sound  of 
z;  as,  Xan'thus  =  Zan'-thus. 

The  rules  given  above  are  all  that  are  needed  for 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS. 


19 


v: 


practical  purposes  by  English-speaking  students.  For 
further  information,  reference  may  be  made  to  "An- 
drews and  Stoddard's  Grammar"  and  to  the  "Stand- 
ard Grammar  "  of  Harkness.  Strictly  speaking,  there 
are  no  silent  letters. 

14.  As  an  example  of  this  new  or  so-called  Roman 
method,  take  these  words  from  "Roby's  Grammar"  : 

exercitui  =  cks-Srr-kit-  f  agis  =  f ah-geese ;  a  =  a  in 

oo-ee.  father, 

natio  =  nah-ti-o.  obscurior  =  ops-koo-ri-or. 

r6rum  =  reh-room  =  ray-  scire  =  skee-reh  ;  skee-ray. 

room.  sciscitari  =  skis-ki-tah-ree. 

The  same  words  by  the  English  method  : 

exercitui  =  6g-zur-sit-u-i.  obscurior  =  ob-sku-re-or. 

natio  =  nay-she-6.  scire  =  sire-y ;  =  si-re. 

rerum  =  ree-rum.  sciscitari  =  sis-si-ta-ri. 
fagis  =  fay-jis. 

In  the  word  obsciirior,  let  the  second  syllable  be 
Bounded  like  scu  in  obscurity. 

The  words  given  above  present  a  fair  sample  of 
the  practical  labors  of  the  class-room  in  the  two  sys- 
tems. 

The  three  systems  have  been  concisely  and,  it  is 
hoped,  clearly  stated,  and  in  such  manner  as  will 
afford  definite  information  to  teachers  and  scholars, 
whatever  may  be  the  mode  of  pronunciation  adopted. 


I 


CHAPTER  IL 

THE  CONTINEKTAL  SYSTEM, 

15.  It  is  very  common  among  the  advocates  of 
tlie  so-called  Roman  method  of  pronouncing  Latin 
to  speak  of  the  so-called  Continental  system  as  a 
"  natural  ally  "  of  the  Phonetic  mode ;  to  affirm  that 
"the  united  forces  of  the  Roman  and  Continental 
methods  are  encroaching  on  the  narrowing  domains  of 
the  English  system."  Such  statements  may  create  a 
sympathy  between  the  two  systems,  but  they  are  not 
founded  on  fact,  and  their  tendency  is  to  mislead 
those  who  have  not  examined  the  subject  with  some 
care.  Some  ardent  reformers  would  make  the  im- 
pression that  if  their  system  should  prevail  in  Eng- 
land and  America,  then  the  "vexed  question  "  would 
be  settled,  and  an  "international  pronunciation" 
would  at  once  become  a  reality.  The  truth  in  the  case 
will  at  once  make  manifest  the  fallacy. 

16.  Harkness  says  :  "  Strictly  speaking,  there  is  no 
Continental  method."*  Bullions  and  Morris  speak 
of  it  as  the  "so-called  Continental  pronunciation." 
These  statements  are  in  accordance  with  the  facts. 
For  centuries  the  law  of  nations  has  been  for  each  to 

♦  JQarkness^s  "  Standard  Grammar,"  p.  8. 


THE  CONTINENTAL  SYSTEM. 


21 


pronounce  Latin  after  the  analogy  of  its  own  tongue. 
As  there  is  such  variety  on  the  Continent,  some  of 
the  ablest  scholars  in  the  United  States,  who  use  the 
BO-called  Continental  mode,  to  make  the  matter  ex- 
plicit, state  that  they  nse  the  sounds  of  the  vowels 
and  diphthongs  as  heard  in  the  Italian. 

17.  One  of  the  chief  arguments  for  the  adoption 
of  what  scholars  strangely  enough  call  the  Conti- 
nental system,  has  been  that  it  would  enable  learned 
men,  by  means  of  a  common  pronunciation,  to  make 
themselves  intelligible  all  over  Europe.     This  idea  of 
grammarians  and  others  is  founded  on  a  misappre- 
hension of  the  facts.     There  is  not  now,  and  there 
has  never  been,  any  international  identity  in  the  pro- 
nunciation of  the  Latin,  and  this  is  especially  true  of 
Continental  Europe.    There  is  a  general  agreement 
in  the  vowel  sounds,  but  in  the  consonants,  which 
make   articulate  speech  what  it   is,  there   is  very 
great  diversity  of  sound.     Each  nation  has  its  own 
phase  of  what  American  scholars  term  the  Conti- 
nental mode.     There  is  the  French  phase,  the  Span- 
ish phase,  the  Italian  phase,  the  Hungarian  phase, 
the  Swedish  phase,  and  the  German  phase  ;  and, 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  there  are  sharply  defined 
varieties  of  the  Continental  method  in  use  in  the 
different  German  States.     What  has  just  been  said  is 
a  sample  of  an  actual  state  of  facts  as  existing  on  the 
Continent  at  this  hour.     Eschenburg,  on  page  550  of 
his  "  Classical  Literature,"  says  : 

18.  "  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  Frenchman, 
German,  and  Italian,  in  pronouncing  Latin,  each 
yields  to  the  analogies  of  his  own  tongue.  Each  of 
them  may  condemn  the  others,  while  each  commits 


22         THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


the  same  error,  or,  rather,  follows  in  truth  the  same 
general  rule, 

19.  "Erasmus  says  he  was  present  at  a  levee  of 
one  of  the  German  princes  where  most  of  the  Euro- 
pean ambassadors  were  present;  and  it  was  agreed 
that  the  conversation  should  be  carried  on  in  Latin. 
It  was  so;  but  you  would  have  thought,  adds  he, 
'  thai  all  Babel  had  come  together.'"  All  those  speak- 
ing were  using  the  Continental  method.  The  variety 
among  the  nations  on  the  Continent  is  most  graphi- 
cally sketched  in  the  quotation  from  Eschenburg, 
himself  among  the  ablest  of  European  scholars.  In 
the  pronunciation  of  the  vowels  there  may  be  an  ap- 
proximate agreement,  but  in  the  consonants  there  is 
the  greatest  diversity.  English-speaking  people  fur- 
nish the  only  anomalous,  and  we  must  say  the  only 
humiliating,  example  of  a  great  nation  literally  ignor- 
ing its  own  and  seeking  across  the  Atlantic  foreign 
sounds  with  which  to  pronounce  this  grand  old  lan- 
guage. There  might  be  reason  in  the  thing  if  the 
Continental  nations  had  the  true  pronunciation,  or, 
putting  this  supposition  aside,  if  they  had  even  an 
approximate  uniformity  among  themselves.  As  mat- 
ters now  stand,  the  scholar  who  seeks  the  Continental 
mode,  without  defining  accurately  what  variety  of  it 
he  wishes,  is  much  like  the  rustic  in  his  pursuit  of 
the  will-o'-the-wisp. 

20.  How  the  native  tongues  on  the  Continent  pro- 
nounce Latin,  after  their  own  analogies,  may  be  seen 
from  a  glance  at  the  Romance  languages  of  Southern 
Europe,  the  French,  Italian,  Portuguese,  and  Spanish, 
to  which  the  Latin  stands  in  the  relation  of  a  common 
progenitor.    The  letters  c,  g,  j,  and  v  will  be  sufficient : 


THE  CONTINENTAL  SYSTEM. 


23 


FRENCH.  ITALIAN. 

c  =  B,  before  e,  i,  and  y.  c  =  ch  in  cherry,  before  e, 
g  =  s  in  pleasure,  before         i,  and  y. 

e,  i,  and  y.  g  =  g  in  gem. 

i  =  z  in  azure.  j  =  ee  in  fee  (a  vowel). 

V  =  v,  as  in  English.  v  =  v  in  English. 


PORTUGUESE. 

c  =  s,  as  in  French, 
g  =  s,  as  in  French . 
j  =  z,  as  in  French, 
v  =  V,  as  in  English, 


SPANISH. 

c  =  th  in  pith,  before  e  and  i. 

g  =  ch  guttural. 

j  =  ch  guttural,  before  all 

vowels. 
V  =  V,  as  in  English. 

Notice  the  German  also  : 
c  =  ts  before  e  and  i.  g  =  g  in  go. 

v  =  f.  j  =y- 

21.  As  an  example  of  pronunciation  in  the  lan- 
guages named,  take  Cicero : 

French,  Cicero  =  Seesayro.  Italian,  Cicero  =  dieechay- 
Portuguese,  Cicero  =  See-       ro, 

sayro,  Spanish,   Cicero  =  Thee- 

German,  Cicero  =  Tseet-       thayro, 

sayro, 

22.  Professor  Stengel,  of  Columbia  College,  New 
York,  in  tracing  the  history  of  Latin  pronunciation, 
notices  three  distinct  pronunciations  of  the  word 
Cicero,  as  prevailing  in  Italy,  in  the  centuries  named 

below : 

To  the  sixth  century,  Cicero  =  Kik-e-ro. 

From  the  sixth  to  the  thirteenth  century,  Cicero 
=r  Ziz-e-ro, 


24         THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

Since  the  thirteenth  century,  Cicero  =  TsJiit-shero. 

23.  One  of  the  most  accomplished  Latinists  of 
New  England  uses  the  following  language  : 

**  But  there  is  no  third,  there  is  no  Continental 
pronunciation — a  Frenchman,  an  Italian,  a  German, 
a  Spaniard,  each  pronounces  Latin  after  a  way  of  his 
own,  and  when  teachers  here  say  they  teach  the  '  Con- 
tinental'  pronunciation,  they  differ  in  many  important 
particulars,  and  are  really  adopting  English  sounds  for 
consonants  with  semi-Italian  vowel  sounds. 

24.  *'  Either  the  English  or  the  new  *  Roman '  is 
consistent  with  itself,  no  other  that  ever  I  heard  from 
an  American  is.  An  Italian,  a  Frenchman,  etc.,  is 
consistent  when  he  pronounces  Latin,  because  he  does 
it  like  his  own, 

25.  "  When  the  Catholic  clergy  became  illiterate 
in  the  Middle  Ages,  they  learned  to  read  their  prayer- 
book  with  the  pronunciation  each  of  his  own  nation, 
and  so  each  country  got  to  pronouncing  Latin  as  it 
did  its  own  tongue.  Now,  as  the  Continental  nations 
each  differ  from  each  other  in  pronunciation  less  than 
they  do  from  English,  an  English  or  an  American 
ear  does  not  readily  detect  the  differences,  and  lumps 
them  all  up  as  the  Continental ;  but  the  Vatican  Coun- 
cil settled  that." 

26.  J.  F.  Richardson,  one  of  the  ablest  of  Roman 
Latinists,  uses  the  following  language  : 

"  In  the  second  place,  it  is  an  entire  mistake  to 
speak  of  the  *  Continental  method '  of  pronouncing 
Latin.  There  is,  in  fact,  no  common  Continental 
system,  but  there  are  several  Continental  systems  of 
Latin  pronunciation — e.  g.,  German,  Italian,  French, 
Spanish.     These  four  agree,  to  be  sure,  substantially 


THE   CONTINENTAL  SYSTEM. 


25 


in  regard  to  the  vowels ;  but  in  other  important 
points  they  differ  decidedly  both  from  the  English 
and  from  each  other,  most  of  the  diphthongs  and 
some  of  the  most  important  consonants  being  sound- 
ed differently  in  all  five.  The  idea,  therefore,  that 
he  who  combines  the  German  vowel  sounds  with  the 
English  diphthongal  and  consonant  sounds  has  the 
Continental  system,  or  any  Continental  system  of 
Latin  pronunciation,  is  simply  absurd. 

27.  "  Of  the  six  different  systems  of  Latin  pronun- 
ciation, then,  prevailing  in  Western  Europe  and  our 
own  country,  five  are  strictly  national.  Their  differ- 
ences find  at  once  an  origin  and  an  explanation  in  the 
fact  that  the  scholars  of  each  nation  have  followed, 
in  their  pronunciations  of  Latin,  the  analogies  of 
their  own  vernacular.  In  this  way,  while  making 
sure  of  mutual  disagreement,  all  have  departed  more 
or  less  from  the  true  Roman  method,  and  the  whole 
subject  has  been  involved  in  uncertainty  and  confu- 
sion. Meanwhile  the  pseudo-Continental  system,  des- 
titute alike  of  historical  dignity  and  scientific  accu- 
racy, and  lacking  even  the  poor  support  of  national 
prejudice  and  pride,  is  powerless  to  mediate  and 
compose  these  differences.  Although  it  undoubtedly 
avoids  some  of  the  grossest  absurdities  peculiar  to  the 
English  system,  it  lacks  the  elements  which  command 
respect,  and  can  never  establish  a  claim  to  universal 
adoption  and  use." 

28.  An  able  writer  in  the  "  Globe-Democrat,"  in 
April  last,  in  commenting  on  my  pamphlet  on  the 
"Three  Pronunciations  of  Latin,"  says  :  *^Mr.  Fisher 
cites,  for  instance,  the  proper  name  Cicero,  and  shows 
that  the  Italians,  the  French,  the  Spaniards,  and  the 


\ 


26 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


THE  CONTINENTAL  SYSTEM. 


27 


Germans  differ  from  one  another  as  widely  as  from 
the  English.  We  could  wish  that  the  professor  had 
added  that  of  Hungary,  wherein,  and  not  exclusively 
in  ecclesiastical  affairs,  Latin  remained  a  living  lan- 
guage after  it  had  disappeared  from  general  use  every- 
where else  in  Christendom.  In  Maria  Theresa's  time 
the  deliberations  of  the  Diet  were  in  Latin,  and  with- 
in the  present  generation  it  was  spoken  freely  in  the 
homes  of  the  wealthier  and  better  educated  classes. 
The  pronunciation  differed  in  toto  from  all  those 
cited  in  the  pamphlet,  and  it  is  certainly  as  likely 
to  have  been  as  nearly  like  that  of  the  old  Romans 
themselves  as  that  of  any  other,  not  excepting  the 
Italian  or  Roumanian."  Whatever  may  be  the  merits 
of  this  extract  in  other  respects,  it  calls  attention  to 
one  exceedingly  interesting  fact  not  generally  remem- 
bered, even  among  scholars — viz.,  the  very  recent  use 
of  the  Latin  as  a  medium  of  communication  in  Hun- 
gary. 

29.  It  is  a  little  remarkable  that  the  space  of  time 
from  1700  till  1780  is  called  the  Latin  period  of  the 
Hungarian  nation,  in  opposition  to  the  Arpadian 
dynasty.  Csink,  in  his  Hungarian  Grammar,  makes 
this  statement  :  "  The  Hungarian  language,  there- 
fore, was  banished  to  the  home  of  the  shepherd  and 
agriculturist,  and  the  Latin  was  introduced  in  schools 
and  all  public  transactions.  In  the  public  meetings 
of  the  county-court  halls,  Latin  was  the  language  of 
transactions  and  conversations."  The  same  author 
states  further  that  in  the  Diet  of  1790-'91,  the  Lower 
House  was  saluted  by  the  Vicegerent  {locum-tenens) 
Urm^nyi  in  the  Hungarian  language,  and  that  the 
House  proceeded  to  settle  upon  the  language  to  be 


nsed  in  the  transactions  of  the  Diet.  **  It  was  re- 
solved that  henceforth  the  Hungarian  language  shall 
be  received  in  parliamentary  transactions."  In  the 
same  year,  1791,  the  Hungarian  language  was  intro- 
duced "  into  all  the  upper  schools  (gymnasium,  col- 
leges, and  university)."  In  1803,  Nicolas  Revay,  Pro- 
fessor of  Hungarian  Literature  at  the  University 
of  Pesth,  published  in  Latin  his  great  work  enti- 
tled "  Antiquitates  Literaturse  Hungaricas  "  (Csink's 
Grammar,  Part  II,  pages  18,  20,  22).  Any  one  who 
will  examine  the  first  five  pages  of  the  grammar  just 
referred  to,  will  find  that  the  Hungarian  pronuncia- 
tion of  Latin,  a  language  used  in  a  certain  sense  by  a 
whole  nation  in  their  public  affairs,  and  also  exten- 
sively in  private  circles,  even  so  late  as  the  beginning 
of  the  present  century,  was  quite  as  peculiar  to  the 
nation  in  question  as  any  one  of  the  five  modem 
tongues  before  mentioned. 

30.  Before  passing  to  the  next  point,  let  attention 
be  carefully  fixed  on  several  facts  indisputably  set- 
tled :  1.  That  no  phase  of  the  Continental  system  of 
Europe  professes  to  be  the  true  ancient  pronuncia- 
tion ;  2.  That  no  two  of  them  agree  in  the  sounds  of 
the  consonants ;  3.  That  the  so-called  Roman  pro- 
nunciation does  not  agree  with  a  single  one  of  them 
in  either  vowels  or  consonants — as,  for  instance, 
Cicero,  pronounced  Kee-ke-ro,  certainly  differs  from 
the  French  See-say-ro,  the  Italian  CTiee-chay-ro,  the 
Spanish  Thee-thay-ro,  and  the  German  Tseet-say-ro  ; 
4.  That  the  so-called  Roman  differs  more  widely  from 
the  Italian  than  from  the  other  Romance  tongues — ^a 
fact  not  a  little  significant  when  we  remember  that 
the  Italian  is  spoken  ou  the  very  soil  rendered  almost 


28         THE  THREE  PRONTJNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

sacred  to  the  scholar  by  the  hallowed  memories  of  the 
Latin  language  ;  5.  That  when  Americans  use  the 
Continental  they  do  not  sound  the  consonants  like 
any  nation  or  tribe  on  the  Continent  of  Europe. 
They  approximate  the  yowel-sounds  of  the  Continent, 
but  almost  invariably  pronounce  the  consonants  as  in 
English.  Hence  the  so-called  Continental  of  Amer- 
ica is  a  combination  of  foreign  vowel-sounds  with 
consonants  uttered  almost  universally  as  in  English 
words.  Whatever  the  theories  of  teachers  may  be, 
this  is  a  stubborn  practical  fact.  We  have  in  this 
country,  therefore,  the  American  phase  of  the  Conti- 
nental method,  the  conglomerate  variety,  differing 
from  every  other  variety  of  that  system  on  the  globe. 
Bullions  and  Morris,  in  speaking  of  the  Continental, 
say,  **The  consonants  are  pronounced  generally  as 
in  the  English  language"  (*'  Grammar,"  p.  6).  Our 
college-days  were  spent  in  the  use  of  the  method  of 
which  we  are  speaking,  and  the  facts,  to  which  atten- 
tion is  here  called,  are  given,  with  the  deepest  rever- 
ence for  the  able  men  at  whose  feet  we  sat  when  a 
student,  and  with  the  truest  respect  for  the  many  dis- 
tinguished educators  who  employ  the  system. 

81.  Scholars  who  adopt  the  so-called  Roman  mode 
do  not  regard  the  so-called  Continental  mode  in  the 
same  light.  For  instance.  Professor  Miller  says,  "  So 
that  the  Continental  pronunciations  are  mutually 
intelligible."  This  does  not  agree  with  the  quotation 
from  Erasmus  as  given  in  section  19.  Again,  Pro- 
fessor Miller  says  :  "  Although  these  Continental  pro- 
nunciations do  not  differ  from  each  other,  yet  they 
differ  widely  from  the  English  pronunciation  of  Latin. 
If  our  pronunciation  were  as  good  as  that  of  the  Ital- 


THE  CONTINENTAL  SYSTEM. 


29 


ian  or  German,  there  would  not  be  so  much  need  of 
reform."  This  statement  does  not  seem  to  agree  with 
the  facts  given  above,  and  certainly  differs  strikingly 
from  Professor  J.  F.  Richardson,  quoted  in  sections 
26,  27.  Professor  Haldeman,  in  concluding  an  able 
defense  of  the  Roman  mode,  says,  "Nevertheless, 
the  institutions  adopting  the  empiric  English  sistem, 
or  even  some  Continental  one,  ar,  under  the  circum- 
stances, entitld  to  no  consideration  in  the  studi  of 
English." 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


81 


CHAPTEE  m. 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


32.  Twenty  years  ago  there  were  only  two  meth- 
ods used  in  the  United  States,  the  English  and  the 
Continental,  and  popular  fayor  was  rather  with  the 
former.  In  what  is  called  the  Latin,  or  Keformed 
mode.  Professor  Haldeman,  of  the  Uniyersity  of 
Pennsylyania,  enjoys,  and  deservedly,  the  reputation 
of  being  the  first  explorer.  His  work  was  published 
as  early  as  1851.  That  mode  now,  however,  is  most 
intimately  associated  with  the  name  of  CorsSen  in 
Germany,  and  Eoby  in  England,  whose  exhaustive 
works  should  be  an  honor  to  any  nation.  Both  works 
have  been  published  in  the  last  twenty-five  years. 
Professor  Lane,  of  Harvard,  introduced  the  Roman 
pronunciation  in  New  England,  and  its  introduction 
in  the  South  is  largely  due  to  Professor  Blair,  of 
Hampden  Sidney,  Virginia,  and  Professor  Gilder- 
sleeve,  of  Johns  Hopkins  University,  Baltimore.* 
Whatever  conquests  that  system  has  made  anywhere 
in  the  world,  have  been  achieved  within  the  brief 
space  of  twenty  years  past. 

33.  But  what  does  this  new  mode  claim  ?    It 


•  Ellis,  Munro,  and  Palmer  in  England,  and  the  two  Richardsona 
in  America,  have  written  ably  in  favor  of  this  system.   ~ 


claims  to  be  the  genuine  Latin  method,  the  true  an- 
cient pronunciation  restored  ;  to  pronounce  words  as 
they  fell  from  the  lips  of  Cicero,  Virgil,  and  Horace. 
If  this  claim  be  well  founded,  then  it  is  no  new  doc- 
trine, but  a  very  old  one.    Any  dissent  in  this  treatise 
from  the  opinions  of  others,  however  emphatic  the 
dissent  may  be,  is  made  with  the  profoundest  regard 
for  the  distinguished  scholars  who  have  written  in 
favor  of  the  Roman  method.     But  a  system  with  such 
pretensions  must  abide,  aa  it  professes  to  do,  the  re- 
sults of  the  crucible.     Roby  himself  in  his  preface 
says,  "  An  inquiry  into  practical  Latin  is  [an  inquiry] 
into  a  pronunciation  which  has  not  been  uttered  for 
the  last  seventeen  hundred  years  "  (p.  xxx,  edition  of 
1871).     Yet  many  able  scholars  hold  that  they  have 
gone  back  and  brought  down  to  our  day  a  pronuncia- 
tion which  purports  not  to  differ  from  that  of  Cicero 
"  more  than  the  pronunciation  of  educated  men  in 
one  part  of  England  would  differ  from  that  heard  in 
other  parts  "  (Roby). 

On  what  are  these  claims  based  ? 
34.  1.  The  Latin  grammarians:  beginning  with 
Varro,  64  B.  c,  and  coming  down  to  Priscianus 
Caesariensis,  who  taught  at  Constantinople,  570  A.  D. 
In  reference  to  these  grammarians.  Professor  Blair, 
in  his  introduction,  says,  "  To  whose  instructions 
we  must  now  turn,  in  order  to  gather  by  inference, 
and  not  without  great  care  and  pains,  the  informa- 
tion which  might  have  been  easily  and  more  certainly 
had  by  spending  an  hour  with  the  Roman  boys  4n 
their  elementary  school." 

2.  The  information  gleaned  from  grammarians  is 
compared  with  three  sources  of  probable  proof  :     • 


i 


32  THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

(a.)  The  traditions  of  scholars  and  the  modem 
Eomanic  languages. 

(J.)  The  Greek  mode  of  rendering  Latin  sounds 
into  their  tongue.  The  Greeks  attempted  to  indicate 
the  Latin  sounds  as  perfectly  as  their  letters  would 
allow. 

(c.)  The  third  probable  proof  is  '*  the  face  of  the 
language  itself,  as  seen  in  its  records  which  have  been 
preserved  to  us." 

For  these  three  i)ositions  reference  may  be  made 
to  Professor  Blair's  work,  one  of  the  best  yet  pub- 
lished on  this  subject  in  America. 

A  source  of  testimony  much  relied  on  by  Eoman 
Latinists  is  the  modem  Romance  languages  of  South- 
em  Europe — a  point  which  shall  receive  proper  atten- 
tion as  we  proceed. 

35.  In  brief,  the  means  relied  on  for  ascertain- 
ing the  ancient  sounds  are  :  1.  Orthography  of  the 
language ;  2.  Latin  grammarians ;  3.  Traditions  of 
scholars  ;  4.  Eepresentation  of  Latin  sounds  by  the 
Greeks;  5.  Pronunciation  of  the  tongues  descended 
from  the  Latin ;  6.  Principles  of  phonology  in  gen- 
eral.    - 

86.  But  what  kind  of  evidence  is  it  upon  which 
these  lofty  claims  are  based  ?  The  answer  is,  and 
must  in  the  nature  of  the  case  be,  "  Probable  evi- 
dence." 

It  is  not  at  all  our  design  in  this  discussion  to 
undervalue  probable  or  moral  evidence.     Far  from  it. 

The  countless  facts  of  history,  of  the  sciences,  and 
of  Christianity  itself,  rest  on  this  kind  of  proof. 

The  human  mind  is  so  constituted  as  to  rest  with 
as  much  confidence  in  probable  evidence  of  the  degree 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


33 


of  moral  certainty  as  in  demonstrative  or  mathemati- 
cal evidence.  We  do  not  object  to  the  so-called  Ro- 
man method  *  because  its  basis  is  moral  evidence,  as 
from  the  nature  of  the  case  it  can  admit  of  no  other 
kind,  but  because  it  is  destitute  of  that  measure  of 
evidence  of  this  kind  which  would  entitle  it  to  our 
acceptance ;  and  our  critics  who  drew  a  contrary 
meaning  from  our  words  fell  into  very  strange  misap- 
prehensions of  statements  designed  to  be  plain  to  all 

— ^viz. : 

Probable  evidence  presents  various  degrees  of 
strength.  In  the  lowest  form,  it  warrants  only  pre- 
sumption ;  in  the  highest  degree,  it  warrants  moral 
certainty.  In  the  face  of  the  conflicting  opinions  and 
difficulties  to  be  shown  hereafter,  no  scholar  can  make 
the  least  pretension  that  the  resurrected  system  rests 
on  any  such  basis  as  moral  certainty.  Far  from  it. 
Many  points  are  destitute  of  even  presumptive  evi- 
dence in  their  support. 

37.  If  no  "accredited  representative"  has  been 
heard  for  seventeen  hundred  years,  we  have  a  right 
to  claim  that  these  probabilities  shall  be  to  the 
point,  and  sufficiently  numerous.  The  following  is 
Professor  Twining's  way  of  putting  the  case  as  a 
Romanist : 

38.  "  The  utmost  that  can  be  said  is  that  there  must 
be  a  reasonable  conformity  in  the  indications  of  the 


♦  Professor  Lane,  from  whom  Mr.  Allen  says,  in  a  foot-note,  that 
he  borrowed  the  term  "  Roman  method,"  would  little  fancy  being 
made  responsible  for  this  expression.  His  friends  know  that  he  has 
always  earnestly  protested  against  it,  as  a  "  gross  misnomer  and  bar- 
barism."— Professor  Tctlow,  in  "  New  England  Journal,"  January 
20,  1881. 


84 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATDT. 


several  probabilities,  and  that  they  should  be  nu- 
merous enough  to  free  their  correspondence  from  the 
suspicion  of  mere  coincidence"  ("Western,"  July- 
August,  p.  414). 

39.  What  we  object  to  is  the  hasty  position  taken 
by  some  enthusiastic  scholars  that  there  has  already 
been  made  out  even  the  lowest  grade  of  probable  evi- 
dence, even  a  mere  presumption,  in  favor  of  the  so- 
called  Eoman  method,  as  an  entire  system,  over  the 
Continental  or  English,  which  at  once  decides  the 
question,  and  all,  nolens  volens,  must  logically  fall 
into  the  ranks  of  the  Roman  Latinists  and  flout  all 
who  dare  to  differ  and  refuse  to  enter  their  air-castles, 
built  or  un vindicated,  as  wanting  in  logic  and  in  re- 
gard for  moral  evidence.  Such  pretensions  are  hasty 
and  unwarranted.  We  affirm  boldly  and  explicitly, 
and  hold  ourselves  responsible  to  prove,  that  while 
some  parts  of  the  resurrected  system,  but  not  peculiar 
to  it,  present  a  plausible  claim  to  authenticity,  other 
and  essential  parts  are  groundless,  perplexing,  and  im- 
probable. Instead  of  the  new  system  being  established 
in  the  judgment  of  the  classic  world,  as  is  urged  in 
certain  quarters,  its  ablest  advocates  in  Europe  and 
America  concede  that  some  of  its  features  are  wholly 
unsettled.  And  yet  the  men  who  hold  this  position 
are  the  very  men  who  have  the  right  to  recognition 
as  the  leading  spirits  in  this  reform  movement.  As 
in  other  things,  some  of  those  who  are  most  positive 
in  their  language  are  least  known  as  classical  scholars. 
In  America,  two  classes  of  teachers  use  the  Eoman  : 
*'  1.  Purists  ;  and,  2.  Those  needing  the  factitious 
advertisements  of  latest  methods."  These  words  are 
quoted  from  one  of  the  ablest  educators  in  our  conn- 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


35 


try.     A  man's  scholarship  does  not  depend  on  his 

phonetics. 

40.  We  now  find  ourselves  face  to  face  with  two 
or  three  questions  which  are  entirely  distinct :  1.  Do 
we  know  the  true  ancient  pronunciation  of  Latm  ? 
2    Shall  we  adopt  the  so-called  Roman  system  ?    3. 
A  third  question  also  is  pertinent :  If  the  new  mode 
rested  on  a  universally  a<5knowledged  foundation  of 
moral  certainty,  should  it  be  adopted  by  English- 
speaking  people  ?    Most  unhesitatingly  and  unequivo- 
cally we  answer  "No"  to  all  three  of  these  interro- 
gations.  These  inquiries  put  the  case  so  plainly  before 
the  reader  that  it  is  hoped  no  one  will  misunderstand 
it.     In  regard  to  the  first  inquiry.  Do  we  know  the 
true  pronunciation  ?    the  distinguished  Latinist  of 
Yale  College,  Professor  Thacher,  in  his  preface  to 
Madvig's    Grammar,   affirms:    "How  the    Romans 
themselves  pronounced  their  language  is  not  known, 
nor  can  it  ever  be  known.     Scholars  may  not  agree  in 
opinion  in  respect  to  the  extent  of  this  ignorance  ; 
but  if  it  were  in  itself  very  limited,  pertaining,  for  in- 
stance,  only  to  the  sound  of  a  single  letter,  it  might 
with  reason  be  made  an  objection  to  any  attempt  to 
imitate  the  original  pronunciation  of  the  language  ; 
for  the  number  of  distinct  sounds  is  so  small  m  such 
a  language  as  the  Latin  or  our  own,  that  every  one  of 
them  runs  like  a  thread  through  every  page,  and  con- 
stitutes an  important  element  of  it.     The  difficulties 
which  attend  this  subject  are  inherent  m  it,  are  such 
that  there  is  no  nation  in  Europe,  the  classical  schol- 
ars of  which  agree  in  claiming  that  they  can  repro- 
duce  the  pronunciation  of  the  Rx)man  forum,  or  in 
attempting  to  do  so."    Haldeman,  on  page  18  of  his 


86 


THE  THREE  PRONTJNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


"  Affixes  to  English  Words,"  says,  "  The  Latin  alpha- 
bet is  composed  of  the  following  twenty  letters,"  nam- 
ing them,  and  holding  that  only  nine,  B,  D,  F,  H,  N, 
P,  Q,  T,  X,  had  the  same  power  as  in  English.  But 
suppose  there  is  one  sound,  like  the  diphthong  m  or  a?, 
running  "like  a  thread  through  every  page,"  and  in 
a  multitude  of  words,  which  is  not  known  and  about 
which  there  is  a  variety  of  opinions,  will  any  man 
affirm  that  we  know  the  pronunciation  of  a  language 
when  this  multitude  of  words  contains  an  unknown 
or  at  least  a  perplexing  and  unsettled  sound,  and  yet 
eleven  unknown  sounds  are  conceded  ?  Let  us  now 
notice  closely  some  of  the  difficulties  surrounding  the 
inquiries  under  discussion : 

41.  L  Time. — Eoby  tell  us  that  it  is  a  "pronun- 
ciation that  has  not  been  uttered  by  an  accredited  rep- 
resentative "  for  seventeen  hundred  years.  The  task 
before  the  reformers,  therefore,  is  to  thread  their  way 
back  through  the  phonetic  labyrinth  of  fifty  genera- 
tions, and  trace  with  accuracy  the  pedigree  of  the 
Latin  sounds.  Let  it  be  borne  clearly  in  mind  that 
in  the  so-called  Koman  mode  the  phonetic  element  is 
absolutely  vital;  the  sounds  of  the  vowels  differ  in 
quantity y  but  never  in  quality.  Haldeman  holds  that 
"along  vowel  (or  syllable)  is  twice  the  length  of  a 
short  one,  and  has  the  same  quality  "  ("Affixes,"  p. 
19). 

42.  The  difficulty  here  is  seen  and  felt  and  con- 
fessed by  scholars  whose  vast  researches  in  the  field 
of  philology  in  the  last  twenty-five  years  have  been 
simply  amazing,  and  have  crowned  with  honor  the 
countries  to  which  they  belong.  Fortunately,  there  is 
in  the  Hebrew  language  a  ready  and  vivid  illustration 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


87 


of  the  obstacles  to  be  overcome  in  determining  the 
true  pronunciation  of  an  ancient  language.  Jews  and 
Christians,  of  all  names  and  all  shades  of  belief,  have 
stood  as  sleepless  sentinels  over  this  tongue  of  the 
old  prophets  for  over  eighteen  centuries.  But  what 
is  true  to-day  ?  There  are  three  distinct  systems  of 
pronunciation  now  current  among  the  Jews  them- 
selves, to  say  nothing  of  Gentile  nations.  These  are 
the  Polish,  German,  and  Portuguese  methods.  Dr. 
Alexander  Meyrowitz,  of  the  University  of  Missouri, 
a  Jew,  and  one  of  the  greatest  Hebrew  and  rabbinical 
scholars  now  living,  lays  down  these  systems  in  the 
preface  to  his  Hebrew  Grammar.  Look  at  the  illus- 
tration thus  afforded  : 

43.  "  The  orthodox  Jew  to  this  day,  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  ritual,  repeats  the  Hebrew  prayers,  saluta- 
tions, and  grace  at  meals,  as  he  has  learned  them 
from  his  fathers  in  unbroken  succession."  These 
words  are  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  J.  S.  Blackwell,  Pro- 
fessor of  Oriental  and  Modem  Languages  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Missouri,  and  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
linguists  of  his  day.  In  what  is  known  among  schol- 
ars as  JudaBO-German,  or  Judenteusch,  the  Hebrew 
letters  are  in  constant  use  to-day. 

44.  The  Jews,  over  seven  millions  in  number,  are 
found  in  every  nation  under  heaven — clinging,  too, 
with  startling  tenacity,  to  the  customs,  traditions, 
sacred  books,  and  language  of  their  fathers.  In  the 
fifth  century,  or  at  the  latest  in  the  seventh,  Jewish 
scholars  invented  the  vowel-points,  to  avoid  "  losing 
the  correct  pronunciation  "  (Conant's  "  Gesenius,"  p. 

38). 

46.  Further  still.     Alongside  the  Hebrew  stands 


88         THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

its  cognate,  the  Arabic,  a  tongue  spoken  by  hundreds 
of  millions  for  untold  generations.  The  Jews  are 
everywhere,  their  language  lives,  their  sacred  oracles 
are  found  among  every  civilized  people  ;  the  cognate 
Arabic  is  spoken  by  perhaps  a  hundred  millions  at 
this  hour,  the  vowel-signs  are  in  every  Hebrew  gram- 
mar, the  whole  Israelitish  race  stands  with  eyes  fixed 
on  Jerusalem  ;  and,  after  all,  their  ancient  pronuncia- 
tion has  been  lost.  This  is  a  truth  recognized  by  Jew- 
ish scholars  everywhere.  And  this  is  true,  while  the 
opportunities  afforded  to  preserve  the  true  sounds 
have  been,  beyond  all  comparison,  better  than  in 
either  Latin  or  Greek.  An  additional  item  is,  that 
the  rabbinical  or  unpointed  Hebrew  has  hitherto  been 
an  enigma  to  almost  all  except  born  Jews.  A  calm 
consideration  of  the  admitted  truthfulness  of  the  state- 
ments just  made  will  make  manifest  the  tremendous 
hindrance  in  the  way  of  finding  the  true  pronuncia- 
tion of  Latin.  There  is  one  word  in  the  Hebrew  of 
peculiar  interest.  It  is  the  one  we  call  Jehovah.  Put 
this  word  in  Hebrew  characters,  and  no  Jew  living 
can  tell  how  it  was  pronounced  ;  and  yet  the  anatomy 
of  the  word,  as  it  stands  before  us,  is  complete  :  the 
phonetic  element  is  forever  lost.  So  the  Latin  words 
are  before  us  in  all  their  reality,  but  what  Daniel  will 
imfold  the  phonetic  elements  that  have  slept  in  silence 
for  ages  beneath  those  signs  ? 

46.  The  late  Professor  S.  S.  Haldeman,  in  his 
searching  criticism  of  a  previous  edition  of  this  work, 
in  speaking  of  the  Hebrew,  says  :  "  A  point  is  made 
upon  Hebrew  as  pronounst  by  Poles,  Germans,  and 
Portuguese — all  Europeans  unused  to  Semitic  sounds 
in  the  vernacular.     But  I  would  rather  trust  those 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


89 


i 


Jewish  Algerians  of  Paris,  with  Arabic  signs  to  their 
shops,  for  altho,  in  their  Arabic  vernacular  they  con- 
found dotted  ssad  and  dotted  tta  (letters  15th  and 
17th),  also  t  and  th,  yet  they  ar  competent  to  giv  the 
sounds  of  aleph  (it  occurs  in  the  Wyandot  pronuncia- 
tion of  N  i  a^a  r  a),  gimel,  and  ain,  upon  which  much 
of  Seme  tic  filologi  rests." 

47.  A  more  complete  and  able  reply  to  this  criti- 
cism could  not  be  penned  than  that  which  we  now 
quote  from  our  colleague  and  friend  Professor  Black- 
well,  to  whom  reference  has  already  been  made,  whose 
ability  as  a  Hebraist  is  well  known  both  in  Europe 

and  America. 

48.  "  The  position  that  the  Jews  wherever  found, 
whether  in  Europe,  America,  or  Asia,  would  be  the 
conservators  of  a  pronunciation  most  nearly  like  the 
ancient,  appears  to  me  to  be  a  sound  one.     If  an 
Italian,   a  German,   or  a  Frenchman  emigrates  to 
America,   becomes  naturalized,  begets  a  family  of 
children,  and  teaches  his  own  mother-tongue  to  that 
family  of  children,  I  can  see  nothing  in  the  character 
of  the  child's  new  surroundings  to  cause  him  to  devi- 
ate from  his  parent's  pronunciation  and  to  speak  his 
father's  language  in  the  family  with  a  barbarous  pro- 
nunciation.    It  would  be  a  new  dictum  in  philology 
to  lay  down  that  a  new  sky  made  it  impossible  for  one 
to  pronounce  one's  father's  tongue— a  dictum  contra- 
dicted by  the  experience  of  those  who  speak  English, 
German,  French,  or  Arabic,  under  any  and  all  con- 
ditions.    Now,  the  Jews  who  emigrated  to  the  Span- 
ish Peninsula  were  exiles  from  Jerusalem,  and  those 
who  settled  in  Germany  and  Poland  were  emigrants 
from  the  northern  parts  of  Palestine  ('  Languages/ 


40 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


in  ^British  Encyclopaedia').  There  existed  an  origi- 
nal difference  between  the  pronunciation  of  the  me- 
tropolis and  that  of  Galilee.  The  mispronunciation 
of  their  northern  neighbors  was  a  constant  source  of 
amusement  to  the  wags  of  the  metropolis. 

49.  **  The  purer  pronunciation  of  the  Spanish 
Jews  is  acknowledged  by  the  German  Jews  them- 
selves (see  Mannheimer's  *  Hebrew  Grammar').  The 
Jews  claim  that  there  neyer  was  a  time  when  the 
sacred  language  of  the  Temple  ceased  to  be  taught  in 
the  schools  of  Judea,  and  afterward  in  parts  of  Eu- 
rope. From  the  Babylonish  captivity,  when  hardly  a 
tithe  of  the  people  was  deported,  until  the  Maccabees, 
and  under  the  different  rules  of  Persians,  Greeks, 
Egyptians,  Syrians,  and  Romans,  the  studies  in  the 
law  were  not  interrupted.  Education  was  compul- 
sory. *  The  masters  were  martyred  time  after  time, 
the  academies  were  razed-  to  the  ground,  the  practi- 
cal and  the  theoretical  occupation  with  the  law  was 
proscribed  on  pain  of  death — yet  in  no  instance  is 
the  chain  of  the  living  tradition  broken '  (Deutsch's 
*  Literary  Remains,'  p.  21).  The  earlier  and  the  later 
Jews  carried  out  into  actual  practice  the  sayings  of 
Simon  the  Less,  in  the  Mishna,  that  at  five  years  the 
boy  must  study  Scripture,  at  ten  Mishna,  at  thirteen 
the  Commandments,  at  fifteen  the  Talmud.  The  word 
study  here  means  to  learn  by  heart  (cf.  Talmud  of 
Babylon,  Shabbath,  63  a).  Josephus  says  that  at  four- 
teen he  himself  was  often  consulted  by  the  high-priests, 
so  thorough  was  his  knowledge  of  the  law  ('  Life,'  2). 
The  chief  duty  of  the  schools  was  to  make  a  '  hedge 
to  the  law,'  and,  in  order  to  study  it  alone,  ho  was  de- 
clared anathema  who  should  teach  his  sons  Greek  let- 


BOMAN  METHOD. 


41 


r 


I 


ters  (Talmud,  Baba  Kama,  82,  2  ;  Sota,  49, 2).  Rabbi 
Levi  *  (Sota,  21,  2)  was  indignant  at  hearing  a  prayer 
in  Greek  at  Caesarea.  The  letters  of  the  Biblical  text 
were  counted,  every  feature  of  the  written  and  spoken 
word  reviewed  under  the  pressure  of  but  one  fear — 
i,  e.,  that  of  innovation  or  change. 

60.  "  The  pronunciation  of  a  language  under  cir- 
cumstances here  briefly  and  imperfectly  stated,  is 
more  likely  to  have  the  characteristics  of  its  early 
enunciation  than  under  any  other  circumstances  I  can 
imagine.    If  it  be  urged  that  the  Italians  should  have, 
by  the  same  argument,  the  ancient  Roman  pronuncia- 
tion, I  reply  that  the  cases  thus  compared  are  not 
parallel.    The  Italians  were  conquered  and  recon- 
quered again  and  again  by  various  barbarous  hordes, 
and  they  fused  with  their  masters.    The  Jews  would 
have  died  the  most  painful  of  deaths  rather  than  even 
eat  with  a  man  who  knew  not  the  law.     They  never 
did  mingle  and  never  have  mingled  with  the  Gentiles. 
A  parallel  instance  of  survival  of  language  may  be 
found  in  the  Sanskrit.     In  both  cases  we  have  a  holy 
tongue,  hence  to  be  especially  preserved.     Now,  the 
Sanskrit  is  pronounced  by  the  nations  of  Europe  after 
the  mouths  of  the  pandits  of  to-day,  as  nearly  as 
may  be,  with  some  vowel  differences,  and  the  English 
have  endeavored  carefully  to  ascertain  the  sounds,  as 
the  Brahmans  make  them,  of  the  aspirated  consonants, 
the  palatals,  the  Unguals,  and  the  anusvdra.    With- 
out the  assistance  of  these  native  helpers,  we  should 
have  hardly  had  a  start  in  the  pronunciation  of  that 
tongue,  and  even  the  after-helps  of  the  Frdtisdkhyas 


*  Jerusalem  Talmud. 


42         THE  THREE  PROXUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

could  have  settled  nothing  as  to  the  sounds  of  the  so- 
called  *  cerebrals.'  So  the  Jews  are  the  only  purvey- 
ors of  the  Hebrew  pronunciation  founded  on  a  perfect 
phonetic  system.  If  we  reject  their  pronunciation  of 
Hebrew,  we  have  no  recourse  but  to  draw  conclu- 
sions from  the  living  and  unchanging  Arabic  of  to- 
day. Professor  Haldeman  does  this  for  aleph,  gimel, 
and  at/in,  and  thus  pays  unconscious  tribute  to  the 
unweakened  Semitic  instinct,  so  strong  among  the 
Jews,  to  preserve  what  has  been  handed  down.  Pro- 
fessor Haldeman's  point  as  to  the  merging  of  these 
sounds  in  Hebrew  is  weak.  They  had  become  con- 
fused when  Hebrew  was  a  spoken  language  before  the 
captivity ;  and,  moreover,  the  Arab  of  Algiers,  to 
whom  he  refers,  pronounces  ayin  differently  from  the 
Bedouin  of  the  desert.  The  amplitude  of  Semitic 
change  is  very  small.  The  Semitic  languages  are  in- 
organic. 

61.  **  The  language  of  the  Koran,  neither  more 
nor  less,  with  all  its  niceties,  inflections,  and  desi- 
nences— not  one  lost  or  slurred  over — is  spoken  to-day 
in  Central  and  Eastern  Arabia  (Palgrave,  p.  63). 

52.  *' Professor  Haldeman  is  inconsistent  with 
himself.  While  implying  that  Jews  are  unsafe  guides 
in  pronouncing  their  own  dead  tongue,  the  professor 
wishes  to  prove  the  ancient  pronunciation  of  Caesar 
by  appealing  to  the  modem  Welsh  Caisar  and  the 
German  Kaiser.  It  would  be  as  good  an  argument 
to  say  that  we  pronounce  John  "  Short, ^*  because  it  is 
so  commonly  pronounced  by  untutored  Germans. 

63.  "And  so,  isolated  instances  are  picked  out 
from  Italian  and  Wallachian  with  the  hard  sound  of 
C  to  show  that  the  Bomans  so  pronounced  it,  but  the 


I 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


43 


t 


French,  Portuguese,  Spanish,  and  usual  Italian  sound 
of  C  go  for  nothing  in  his  argument  It  would  bo 
the  same  as  to  say  that  because  we  sometimes  pro- 
nounce g  as  /,  therefore  the  Goths  so  pronounced  it, 
notwithstanding  the  wide  diversity  of  its  pronuncia- 
tion in  English,  Dutch,  Platt-Deutsch,  and  Danish. 
I  am  not  arguing  against  the  Roman  method,  because 
I  believe  in  it,  but  I  protest  against  such  unscientific 
and  childish  proofs.  It  looks  like  special  pleading, 
and  indifference  to  truth  for  its  own  sake. 

64,  "  I  prefer  to  think,  in  view  of  all  the  facts, 
which  I  might  elaborate  easily  and  arrange  in  logical 
order  and  sequence  if,  instead  of  the  dashing  hurry  of 
the  present,  time  were  possible  to  me,  that  the  Jews, 
even  if  they4o  live  in  Europe,  are  not  to  be  sneered 
at  for  having  dared  to  hand  down  a  Hebrew  pro- 
nunciation with  the  best  claim  to  preference." 

65.  Unquestionably,  therefore,  the  European  Jews 
are  our  best  authority  for  the  pronunciation  of  their 
sacred  tongue,  and  yet  there  are  among  them  three 
distinct  pronunciations.  If,  with  such  tremendous 
advantages  in  favor  of  the  preservation  of  the  MCient 
pronunciation,  the  Jews  have  lost  it,  what  shall  be 
said  of  the  Latin,  in  which  no  such  favorable  condi- 
tions have  ever  existed  ? 

66  3  The  Manifest  Difficulties  of  ikvent- 
ING  A  Consistent  Phonetic  System,  even  theo- 
EETicALLT.-No  proof  of  this  is  needed  other  than 
an  ordinary  acquaintance  with  the  Spelling-Reform 
Association  in  America.  It  may  be  answered  that  the 
purpose  of  this  association  is  to  reform  orthography, 
lot  orthoepy.  But,  in  aU  their  schemes  of  reform,  the 
essential  element  in  the  ideal  alphabet  is  that  each 


44         THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


elementary  sound  Bhould  have  its  own  nnyarying 
sign,  and  each  sign  its  own  unvarying  sound.  In  all 
purely  phonetic  spelling,  there  is  a  yital  and  indissolu- 
ble connection  between  the  sound  and  its  sign.  For 
over  a  quarter  of  a  century  some  of  our  ablest  scholars 
have  given  much  time  and  great  learning  to  the  prep- 
aration of  such  an  alphabet.  What  is  the  result  ?  No 
such  alphabet  has  been  agreed  on,  and  there  are  three 
**  schemes  of  reform,"  each  of  which  finds  able  advo- 
cates :  1.  Some  favor  the  use  of  *'new  signs"  alto- 
gether; 2.  Others,  the  Roman  "letters  with  Roman 
values"  ;  3.  Others  still  insist  on  "reform  according 
to  English  analogies."  (See  March's  address  before 
the  International  Convention  for  the  Amendment  of 
Orthography,  Philadelphia,  1876.) 

67.  Professor  March  says  :  "  For  my  part,  I  do  not 
regard  it  as  a  wild  vision  to  imagine  such  an  alphabet 
in  the  future.  But  it  is  obvious  that  any  such  system 
must  win  its  way  very  slowly,  first  into  co-ordinate 
use  with  the  Roman  alphabet,  and,  after  a  struggle 
of  many  generations,  to  its  displacement ;  so  that  the 
improvement  of  our  present  alphabet  is  still  to  be  de- 
sired while  it  lasts."  This  quotation  from  this  dis- 
tinguished scholar  hints  at  existing  obstacles,  and 
indicates  his  opinion  as  to  the  best  way  of  amending 
English  orthography. 

68.  Look,  again,  at  the  various  systems  of  steno- 
graphic signs.  Those  of  Mr.  Pitman,  Bishop  Wilkins, 
and  Mr.  Bell,  are  best  known.  Nobody  claims  that 
they  are  alike.  Obviously,  they  are  remarkably  un- 
like, and  yet  all  three  are  labored,  prolonged,  and 
learned  attempts  to  set  forth  by  signs  the  sounds  of 
our  own  English.     But  take  the  system  of  Mr.  Pit- 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


45 


man,  which  has  undergone  such  radical  changes  in 
a  quarter  of  a  century  that  those,  I  am  told,  who 
learned  it  then,  are  at  sea  in  the  use  of  the  same  sys- 
tem as  now  taught,  and  are  reduced  to  the  necessity 
of  acquiring  it  in  order  to  use  it.     Let  any  one  follow 
the  records  of  the  Spelling  Reform,  and  note  the  re- 
sults year  by  year,  let  him  examine  the  development 
of  the  systems  of  stenography  and  their  present  con- 
dition, and  he  will  be  at  no  loss  to  find  difficulties  in 
the  domain  of  phonetics  as  applied  to  a  living  language. 
69.  But  if  the  obstacles  have  proved  so  far  insur- 
mountable in  a  living  language,  and  that,  too,  our 
own,  who  can  affirm  with  positiveness,  or  consistency 
even,  that,  leaping  over  centuries,  he  has  discovered 
the  genuine  system  of  phonetics  slumbering  in  words 
uttered  in  the  "  Eternal  City,"  in  her  glory  ?    The 
question  just  put  is  at  least  full  of  suggestions. 

60.  Brambach  is  the  highest  authority  extant  on 
Latin  orthography.  He,  in  his  introduction  to  Latin 
orthography,  lays  down  these  propositions  :  1.  The 
orthography  of  the  Silver  Age,  when  at  its  highest 
form-development,  is  the  best  model  of  modem  La- 
tinity.  2.  Our  Latin  forms  have  been  based  on  this 
orthography  by  older  grammarians  ;  to  think  of  set- 
ting  up  any  other  as  the  standard  would  be  a  useless 
experiment.  3.  We  know  of  no  earlier  period  of  the 
Latin  tongue  so  precise  in  the  matter  of  forms  as  that 
which  begins  with  Nero  (Nero  reigned  from  54  to  68 
A.  D.).  4.  The  form  of  the  language  from  Nero  to 
Adrian  (68-117  A.  D.)  really  exhibits  its  fullest  pho- 
netic development  (Brambach's  "Orthography,"  p. 
12) .  Now  let  it  be  granted  that  the  Latin  spelling 
was  phonetic,  and  then  examine  the  case  presented. 


46 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


47 


1.  The  age  of  form-deyelopment  is  after  the  Golden 
Age,  after  all  the  gi-eat  writers  in  common  use,  ex- 
cept Tacitus.  2.  Our  Latin  orthography  is  based  on 
a  post- Augustan  age.  3.  The  period  of  fullest  pho- 
netic deyelopment  was  between  Nero  and  Adrian  (68- 
117).  Necessarily,  therefore,  we  have  the  best  orthog- 
raphy from  64  to  117  A.  D.,  and  of  course  the  best 
exhibition  of  the  phonetics  of  the  Romans.  But  this 
very  orthography  has  caused  no  little  trouble,  and  the 
matter  is  not  yet  settled,  and  consequently  the  pho- 
netics depending  on  the  spelling  can  not  possibly  be 
determined.  What  becomes  of  Cicero,  when  such 
changes  were  made  in  orthography  in  a  hundred 
years  ?  Even  if  we  had  the  spelling  and  phonetics  of 
the  post^ Augustan  age  definitely  fixed,  there  may  be 
a  serious  barrier  still  between  us  and  the  phonetics  of 
the  Golden  Age. 

61.  Brambach  says,  "At  the  beginning  of  this 
period  (100  B.  c),  the  Latin  language,  as  is  frequently 
evidenced  by  the  texts  of  these  authors,  was  in  pro- 
cess of  a  rapid  development  in  respect  to  forms." 
With  a  view  to  distinguish  the  usage  of  these  writers 
in  the  matter  of  pronunciation  and  orthography,  we 
may  divide  them  into  three  groups. 

Taking  the  whole  case  as  it  lies  before  us,  especial- 
ly in  view  of  the  rapid  changes  in  spelling  and  neces- 
sarily in  the  phonetics  of  words,  as  indicated  above, 
we  can  see  at  a  glance  that  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  de- 
cide how  Cicero,  Caesar,  and  Horace  pronounced  Latin. 

3.  Notice,  too,  the  difficulty  of  learning  a  foreign 
LANGUAGE  Under  the  most  favorable  circumstances, 
so  as  to  speak  it  accurately.  Especially  mastering  the 
phonetics  of  any  tongue  not  our  own  is  beset  with 


It 


difficulties  peculiarly  hard  to  overcome,  and  which 
seldom,   if  ever,   are  overcome  by  those  who  have 
reached  adult  years,  even  when  they  hear  the  lan- 
guage spoken  every  day  for  almost  a  lifetime.     Take 
the  French  as  an  illustration.     Look  at  the  alphabet 
It  is  the  Koman  alphabet  and  ours  too.     The  sign  is 
perfectly  familiar.    The  sounds  of  some  of  these  signs 
may  be  uttered  in  the  ear  hundreds  of  times  with  the 
keenest  accuracy,  and  yet  our  lips  refuse  to  produce 
what  we  hear.     The  fact  about  which  we  now  speak 
is  so  notorious  that  in  France  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
find  any  foreigner  who  speaks  the  French  sans  accent 
until,  it  may  be,  after  the  living  teacher  has  drilled 
him  and  French  politeness  has  trailed  him  for  years. 

62.  Professor  Haldeman  and  Professor  W.  G.  Rich- 
ardson tell  us  that  our  facilities  for  learning  the  true 
pronunciation  of  the  ancient  Latin  are  equal  to  those 
we  have  for  learning  the  French  in  the  use  of  books 
without  a  living  teacher.     Grant  it. 

63.  But,  before  any  argument  is  founded  on  this 
statement,  let  some  American  or  Englishman  be  found 
who,  with  books  alone,  has  learned  to  produce  with 
accuracy  and  clearness,  even  to  the  standard  of  re- 
spectability, the  phonetics  of  the  modern  French. 
Such  a  thing,  it  is  safe  to  affirm,  never  happened. 
Where  is  the  scholar  who  has  accomplished  this  with- 
out the  French  people  around  him  and  without  a  mas- 
ter ?    Americans  may  form  theories  in  their  studies, 
as  to  French  sounds,  from  books ;  but  the  experience 
of  one  week  in  Paris  will  reduce  them  to  the  sober 
conviction  that  they  must  go  to  work,  or  cease  for- 
ever  all  their  ridiculous  attempts  to  speak  the  living 
French.     The  trouble  is,  they  have  never  known  the 


48         THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

real  sounds  of  the  language,  and  with  books  alone 
they  never  will  know  them.  We  candidly  confess, 
therefore,  that  the  position  taken  by  the  distinguished 
scholars  named  above,  in  regard  to  one  of  the  Ro- 
mance tongues,  goes  very  far  toward  convincing  us 
that  finding  the  true  pronunciation  of  the  Latin,  as 
things  now  are,  is  an  impossibility.  The  Latin  is  to 
us,  not  only  a  foreign  but  a  dead  language — a  fact 
that  deserves  to  be  borne  in  mind  in  the  discussion  of 
the  question,  "Do  we  know  how  the  Romans  pro- 
nounced Latin  ?  " 

64.  Professor  Guyot,*  of  Princeton,  and  Dr.  Mey- 
rowitz,  of  the  University  of  Missouri,  are  two  of  the 
most  able  scholars  in  America,  one  a  Frenchman  and 
the  other  a  German.  With  the  profoundest  respect 
for  these  scholars,  we  must  be  permitted  to  write  what 
all  personally  acquainted  with  these  gentlemen  know 
-—viz.,  that  neither  of  them  can  utter  the  English 
sounds  to  perfection,  though  they  have  had  years  of 
experience  in  public  life  in  the  land  of  their  adoption. 

65.  Does  any  one  suppose  that,  either  by  word  or 
book,  these  men,  with  all  their  vast  researches,  could 
lay  down  a  scheme  of  English  phonetics  that  would 
properly  represent  our  sounds  to  other  nations  ?  We 
venture  that  neither  of  them  would  feel  willing  to 
undertake  the  task.  This,  again,  most  powerfully 
emphasizes  the  fact  that  acquiring  the  sounds  of  a 
language,  under  circumstances  favorable  to  the  ut- 
most, is  attended  with  the  most  serious  difficulties. 

66.  Professor  Blackwell  calls  attention  to  a  mis- 
pronunciation among  the  Galilean  Jews  that  is  ex- 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


49 


Deceased  since  the  second  edition  was  published. 


ceedingly  interesting.  When,  in  ancient  times,  the 
Galilean  wished  to  purchase  in  the  market  ton,  he  con- 
fused the  gutturals  and  could  not  make  the  trader  un- 
derstand whether  he  wanted  •»?,  (wool),  "Tfth  (wine), 
*vfii)  (a  lamb),  or  "iaDn(an  ass).  Note  the  fact  that  this 
difficulty  was  experienced  by  men  who  were  speaking 
their  own  language. 

67.  4.  It  may  not  be  amiss  to  bestow  a  moment's 
time  on  the  Greek,  a  language  almost  universally 
cited  by  Roman  Latinists,  in  arriving  at  the  power  of 
the  Roman  letters.  Here  we  are  liable  to  be  misled 
by  the  fact  that  the  Greek  is  a  living  language.  Many 
unconsciously  impose  on  themselves  and  others  by 
thinking  that,  when  they  compare  Latin  and  Greek 
letters,  one  term  of  the  comparison  is  known.  This 
is  a  mistake.  We  have  lost  the  ancient  pronuncia- 
tion of  the  Greek,  as  well  as  the  Latin.  There  are 
three  pronunciations  of  Greek  in  use — the  English, 
the  modem  Greek  or  Reuchlinian,  and  the  Erasmian, 
called  also  the  Continental.  Of  the  second  method, 
the  modern  Greek  or  Reuchlinian,  Professor  Boise, 
in  his  report  to  the  Bureau  of  Education,  says  that, 
while  advocated  by  some  very  eminent  men,  it  has 
been  adopted  by  very  few  scholars. 

68.  When  c  and  g  are  compared  with  the  corre- 
sponding letters  in  Greek,  we  are  comparing  things 
to  us  unknown,  and  surely  all  inferences  will  be  un- 
reliable. C  and  g  are  two  letters  about  which  there 
is  as  little  dispute,  perhaps,  as  any  two  that  could  be 
cited  from  the  two  cognate  tongues.  No  two  nations 
have  ever  had  the  same  system  of  phonetics.  When 
the  Roman  Latinist,  in  his  transliteration,  puts  Latin 
into  Greek  letters,  or  vice  versa,  there  may  be  a  visual 

8 


I 


50         THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

correspondence,  and  at  the  same  moment  he  may 
make  a  failure  in  the  phonetic  element  which  is  the 
main  point  of  inquiry. 

69.  Modem  Greek  differs  from  the  ancient  in  mat- 
ter as  well  as  in  forms,  and  the  pronunciation  may 
differ  as  widely  as  the  matter  and  the  forms  of  the 
modem  tongue.    We  have  it  on  the  highest  authority 
that  Sophocles,  for  many  years  Professor  of  Greek 
in  Harvard  University,  held  that  the  modern  Greek 
was  of  comparatively  little  service  in  mastering  the 
ancient,  as  we  have  it  in  Thucydides,  Xenophon,  aod 
Demosthenes.     It  adds  greatly  to  the  weight  of  his 
testimony  when  we  recall  the  fact  that  Sophocles  him- 
self was  a  modem  Greek,  with  a  soul  that  thrilled  with 
emotion  at  the  associations  that  hang  around  the  land 
of  his  fathers.    We  fix  attention  on  the  fact  that  the 
phonetic  system  of  the  old  Greeks  is  not  known,  that 
the  modem  does  not  relieve  us  of  the  difficulty,  and 
that  Latin  orthoepy  can  not  be  settled  by  reference 
to  a  system  that  has  been,  at  least  in  large  part,  con- 
fessedly lost  for  ages. 

70.  There  is  another  fact  that  may  tend  to  strength- 
en "  right  reason  "  on  this  point.     Erasmus,  a  scholar 
of  splendid  genius  and  most  refined  taste,  published 
at  Basle,  in  the  year  1528,  his  famous  dialogue  en- 
titled "De  recta  Latini,  GrsBcique  sermonis  pronun- 
tiatione."    The  text  on  which  that  masterly  review 
was  based,  from  beginning  to  end,  was,  **Nunc  tota 
fere  pronuntiatio  depravata  est  tam  apud  Graecos, 
quam  apud  Latinos."    Of   this  text,   John   Stuart 
Blackie,  Professor  of  Greek  in  the  University  of  Edin- 
burgh, Scotland,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  schol- 
ars now  living,  says :  "  This  is  proved  in  ^  very  ex- 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


61 


haustive  style  in  an  argument  extending  to  above  two 
hundred  pages.    The  powers  of  the  different  letters 
are  critically  discussed,  and  the  relation  of  accent 
and  quantity  illustrated  both  by  leamed  rules  and  by 
living  examples.     With  regard  to  the  vowel-sounds, 
which  is  the  first  point  handled,  he  had  an  easy  task 
to  prove  that  the  slender  sound,  the  characteristic  of 
the  Byzantine  Greeks,  could  not  have  been  the  origi- 
nal sound  of  so  many  distinct  vowels  and  diphthongs. 
Signs  of  different  vowels  are  certainly  not  made  origi- 
nally to  confound,  but  to  distinguish.     The  confu- 
sion in  this  case  is  always  of  a  later  birth.     What 
Erasmus,  however,  failed  in  here,  and  what,  from 
want  of  materials,  he  could  not  but  fail  in,  was  to 
show  at  what  period  this  confusion  commenced ;  .  .  . 
and  the  result  was  that,  by  this  assault  of  Erasmus, 
the  faith  of  scholars  in  the  orthoepic  traditions  of  the 
Byzantine  elders  was  shaken  in  all  the  most  leamed 
countries  of  Europe,  and  every  nation  set  up  vocaliz- 
ing Greek  according  to  what  seemed  good  in  its  own 
eyes.     Hence  the  motley  babblement  of  Greek  which 
now  prevails."* 

71.  From  the  extracts  just  made,  two  proposi- 
tions are  evident :  1.  That  Erasmus  in  his  day  did 
not  believe  that  the  Byzantine  Greeks  possessed  the 
true  ancient  pronunciation ;  2.  That  when  Professor 
Blackie  speaks  of  the  ^'motley  babblement  of  Greek 
which  now  prevails,^'  flowing  from  the  influence  of 
Erasmus,  he  does  not  indorse  the  mode  of  pronounc- 
ing Greek  now  common  in  America  and  on  the  Con- 
tinent 


♦  Blackie*8  "  Horae  Hellenicae,"  p.  850,  London,  1874. 


52         THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


72.  The  modem  Greek  pronunciation  was  taught 
in  Germany  by  the  great  theologian  Reuchlin,  and  in 
his  day  (1455-1522)  was  used  whereyer  Greek  was 
studied.  The  correctness  of  the  modem  Greek  pro- 
nunciation was  called  in  question  by  Erasmus  in  his 
dialogue  between  a  lion  and  a  bear,  as  already  stated, 
in  the  year  1528.  What  is  the  condition  of  things 
now  in  America  ?  Two  years  ago,  a  large  number  of 
letters  was  collected  by  General  Eaton,  Commissioner 
of  Education,  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  Dr.  James 
R.  Boise,  Professor  of  Greek,  Chicago.  Dr.  Boise  ex- 
amined one  hundred  and  twenty-five  letters  to  ascer- 
tain the  system  used  by  American  scholars,  and  the 
result  was  as  follows :  Two  professors,  out  of  the 
whole  number,  used  the  modem  Greek  mode  ;  eight- 
een teach  the  English  system  ;  four  teach  a  system 
partly  English  and  partly  Continental ;  and  one  hun- 
dred and  one  the  Erasmian  method.*  Thus,  Erasmus 
has  triumphed,  but  with  how  much  consistency  and 
uniformity  let  the  *'  motley  babblement "  of  Professor 
Blackie  decide. 

73.  We  are  now  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
ancient  pronunciation  of  Greek,  as  held  by  Sophocles, 
gives  us  very  little  assistance. 

"  But  the  most  important  consideration  is  that  the 
language  of  the  educated  Greeks  is  not  the  traditional 
language  of  the  Greek  nation,  for  in  its  present  form 
it  had  no  existence  a  century  ago.  The  modem  Greek, 
properly  so  called,  is  in  reality  the  legitimate  offspring 
of  the  Byzantine  Greek,  the  last  and  most  cormpt 
stage  of  the  common  Attic,  and,  however  ancient  some 


"Report  of  Commissioner  of  Education  for  18'r6-»7'7,"  p.  480. 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


53 


of  its  peculiarities  may  be,  its  chief  characteristics  can 
not  be  critically  traced  farther  back  than  the  times 
of  Theodorus  Ptochoprodromus  (a.  d.  1150),  the  first 
Eomaic  author  of  whom  we  have  any  definite  ac- 
counts. The  modern  method  began  to  attract  the 
attention  of  American  scholars  upward  of  thirty  years 
ago.  Much  has  been  written  in  its  favor.  In  general, 
however,  it  has  been  treated  with  contempt  or  in- 
difference, not,  as  one  might  hastily  suppose,  because 
its  sounds  are  meager  and  effeminate,  nor  because  it 
is  not  the  pronunciation  of  at  least  four  millions  of 
Greeks  scattered  all  over  the  East,  but  simply  because 
its  defenders  have  failed  to  establish  its  claims  to  clas- 
sical antiquity."  * 

74.  Now,  even  at  the  risk  of  a  slight  repetition, 
we  would  fix  attention  on  the  fact  that  the  modem 
Greeks  do  not  possess  the  true  ancient  pronunciation, 
according  to  Sophocles,  himself  a  modem  Greek ; 
again,  that,  on  the  authority  of  Professors  Blackie, 
Kendrick,  and  others,  the  Erasmian  is  not  the  classic 
pronunciation  ;  and  lastly,  that,  as  shown  from  the 
following  quotation  from  Sophocles,  the  tme  ancient 
pronunciation  is  not  known  and  can  not  be  known, 
and  that  too  from  the  nature  of  the  case  : 

76.  "  It  is  conceded  that  the  refinements  of  the 
classical  pronunciation  can  not  be  determined  with 
precision,  partly  because  they  are  not  minutely  de- 
scribed by  ancient  grammarians,  but  chiefly  because 
the  vanishing  or  obscure  sounds  of  all  languages  are 
always  perplexing  to  foreigners.  And  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  all  modem  nations  are,  with  respect  to 


Sophocles. 


54         THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


the  ancients,  foreigners  "  (Sophocles's  "  Alphabet  and 
Pronunciation,"  pp.  7,  8,  10). 

76.  "  Bullions's  Greek  Grammar  "  by  Kendrick,  an 
ardent  advocate  of  the  Erasmian  system,  virtually 
yields  the  point  that  we  do  not  know  the  ancient  pro- 
nunciation.   On  page  4  occurs  the  following  passage  : 

77.  "The  ancient  pronunciation  of  the  Greek 
vowels  and  diphthongs  can  not  now  be  determined 
with  certainty  in  all  cases.  The  knowledge  we  have 
of  it  is  derived  chiefly  from  Greek  words  that  appear 
in  Latin,  and  Latin  words  that  appear  in  Greek,  from 
imitation  of  natural  sounds,  as  the  bleating  of  sheep 
or  the  barking  of  the  dog ;  from  a  play  upon  words, 
and  other  similar  hints.  Valuable  aid  may  be  derived 
from  the  pronunciation  of  the  modem  Greek,  and  a 
study  of  the  euphonic  laws  which  have  produced  it. 

78.  "If  uniformity  in  the  pronunciation  of  the 
Greek  is  to  be  aimed  at — and  it  is  certainly  desir- 
able that  it  should — the  Erasmian  method,  among  all 
others  now  in  use,  seems  entitled  to  preference,  on 
account  of  its  simplicity  and  perspicuity,  and  as  hav- 
ing largely  in  its  favor  the  authority  of  the  ancients. 
It  is  the  pronunciation  mainly  prevalent  in  Europe, 
and  to  a  considerable  extent  in  America." 

79.  It  is  well  known  by  scholars  that  Sophocles, 
Packard,  Curtius,  and  Kuhner,  not  to  mention  others, 
do  not  yet  agree  as  to  the  sounds  of  some  of  the  diph- 
thongs. Erasmus  never  claimed  anything  more  than 
that  the  system  indicated  in  the  dialogue  was  an  ap- 
proximation to  the  ancient  pronunciation. 

80.  And,  after  all,  the  reformers  of  Latin  pro- 
nunciation, who  wage  a  war  of  extermination  on 
nearly  every  page,  parade  their  transliterations  of 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


65 


Latin  into  Greek  and  Greek  into  Latin.  We  repeat 
that,  when  they  compare  Latin  and  Greek  letters,  they 
are  comparing  two  unknown  terms.  If  they  mean 
modern  Greek,  that  has  laid  aside,  as  almost  univer- 
sally conceded,  its  claims  to  antiquity  ever  since  the 
days  of  Reuchlin.  If  they  mean  ancient  Greek,  then 
we  answer  that  its  pronunciation  has  beep  lost,  that 
the  most  persistent  defenders  of  the  Continental  mode 
only  claim  for  it  an  approximation,  and  that  this  ap- 
proximation hafi  as  many  phases  as  the  so-called  Con- 
tinental pronunciation  of  Latin— i.  e.,  every  nation 

has  its  own  phase. 

81.  An  advocate  for  the  new  mode  of  pronouncmg 
Latin  says,  "  And  if  it  could  be  proved  that  we  are 
in  ignorance  in  regard  to  half  of  the  sounds  of  the 
Greek  alphabet,  that  would  not  forbid  us  to  use  for 
purpose  of  transliteration  the  other  half  about  which 
we  do  know  something."  The  answer  has  been  given, 
but  a  short,  incisive,  and  decisive  reply  is  not  far  to 
seek.     Erasmus  (see  section  70)  says  that  the  pronun- 
ciation of  Greek  in  his  day  was  almost  aa  corrupt  as 
that  of  the  Latin  ;  and  Professor  Blackie,  a  splendid 
Grecian,  affirms  that  he  proved  it     And  so  did  aU 
Europe  believe.     It  is  difficult  to  illustrate  one  un- 
known quantity  by  another. 

82.  5.  Another  fact,  pretty  weU  established,  is 
worthy  of  attention.  There  were  differences  among 
the  Romans  in  their  pronunciation  of  their  own  lan- 
guage. This  was  true  in  the  greatest  purity  of  the 
Golden  Age.  There  was  the  refined  utterance  in  the 
capital ;  the  "  vox  rustica,"  in  which  certain  of  the 
vowels  seemed  to  lose  their  difference  of  sound  ;  an- 
other pronunciation  peculiar  to  eaxUer  days,  and  used 


66         THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


by  a  great  number  of  the  people  ;  foreigners  came, 
whose  influence  tended  to  yitiate  the  pronunciation  ; 
the  best-educated  circles  differed  about  the  quantity 
of  many  words,  and  their  quantity  of  course  regulated 
their  spoken  language  ;  and  finally,  learned  men  have 
reasons  for  insisting  that  there  were  differences  and 
defects  in  the  pronunciation  of  Caesar  and  of  Cicero. 

83.  In  an  able  article  before  the  Philological  As- 
sociation in  July,  1876,  Professor  Peck,  of  Cornell 
University,  who  adopts  the  Roman  mode,  used  this 
language  in  substance.  In  conclusion,  the  speaker 
urged  that,  as  the  best  native  speakers  of  Latin  dif- 
fered among  themselves  in  theory  and  practice,  but 
labored  harmoniously  and  to  the  end  to  come  nearer 
to  the  ideal  pronunciation,  so  there  is  no  ground  for 
discouragement  or  for  detraction,  if  those  who  would 
restore  the  ancient  pronunciation  still  differ  in  many 
points,  and  perhaps  in  all  points  fall  below  the  true 
standard. 

84.  The  preceding  paragraphs  have  been  employed 
in  substance  by  Roman  Latinists,  to  show  that  their 
differences  were  not  so  much  to  be  wondered  at,  be- 
cause the  Romans  themselves  differed  in  some  im- 
portant particulars.  The  meaning  is  not  that  Caesar, 
Cicero,  and  others  did  not  understand  how  to  pro- 
nounce their  vernacular,  but  the  meaning  is  that 
the  differences  among  the  Romans  themselves,  even 
among  their  most  learned  men,  make  it  very  diflacult 
for  people  in  our  day  to  find  out  what  the  true  pro- 
nunciation was  on  the  part  of  any  of  them.  No  schol- 
ars are  more  aware  of  the  state  of  facts  under  consid- 
eration than  many  of  those  who  have  written  in  favor 
of  the  so-called  Roman  method. 


ROMAN  METHOD. 


67 


86.  When  Latinists,  who  insist  on  the  reformed 
system,  differ  among  themselves  on  so  many  points, 
both  in  theory  and  practice,  and  justify  their  dif- 
ferences by  asserting  that  the  Latins  differed  among 
themselves — a  thing  admitted — the  question  may  be 
gravely  asked  whether  or  not  Corssen,  Roby,  and 
others  have  really  ever  resurrected  the  ancient  pro- 
nunciation at  all.  At  any  rate,  does  not  such  a  con- 
dition of  things  somewhat  palliate  the  offense  of  those 
who  still  prefer  to  employ  what  may  be  termed  an 
*^ old-fashioned"  and  settled  pronunciation?  Fur- 
ther, Brambach's  testimony,  just  under  this  head,  is 
invaluable  : 

86.  "  With  a  view  to  distinguish  the  usage  of  these 
writers  in  the  matter  of  pronunciation  and  orthogra- 
phy, we  may  divide  them  into  three  groups. 

87.  "To  the  first  and  oldest  group  belong  Cicero, 
Caesar,  and  Sallust.  Of  these,  Sallust  has  a  marked 
fondness  for  long-established  forms,  while  Caesar  lends 
a  very  ready  ear  to  the  pronunciation  just  coming  into 
fashion,  and,  in  so  far  as  his  philological  studies  allow 
it  to  seem  advisable,  forwards  a  general  acceptance  of 
the  same  through  his  writings.  Cicero  takes  a  mid- 
dle course,  by  seeking  not  so  much  to  carry  through 
his  own  particular  notions  about  the  correct  system  of 
phonetic  spelling,  as  by  accepting  the  actually  received 
usage  in  regard  to  pronunciation  and  orthography, 
and  by  making  concessions  to  it  contrary  to  his  own 
convictions. 

88.  "  Livy,  Virgil,  Horace,  and  Ovid  constitute  a 
second  group.  Livy  is  no  innovator  in  the  matter  of 
spelling  and  pronunciation.  In  his  simple  narrative 
he  clings  to  the  prevailing  orthography  of  his  con- 


»U«.-  "Lm-JBU*! 


68 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


temporaries,  but,  as  his  whole  heart  is  with  the  past, 
he  has  the  knack,  when  treating  of  grave  and  venera- 
ble matters  of  religion  and  state,  of  giving  an  antique 
coloring  to  his  narrative,  by  using  words  aptly  select- 
ed, whether  we  regard  the  words  in  themselves  or 
their  archaic  spelling.     The  same  is  true  of  Virgil. 

89.  **  On  the  other  hand,  Horace  and  Ovid,  gladly 
turning  to  the  fresh  life  of  the  present,  prefer  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  modes  of  speech  just  coming  into 
vogue.  Horace,  indeed,  puts  himself  into  a  conscious 
antagonism  to  the  old-fashioned  poetry  of  the  past. 

90.  "To  the  third  group  belong  Quintilian,  Cur- 
tius,  and  Tacitus.  These  wrote  in  a  time  when  the  in- 
novations which  had  forced  their  way  in  since  Caesar's 
day  had  attained  general  recognition"  (Brambach's 
"  Orthography,"  pp.  9-11). 

91.  This  significant  passage  must  be  full  of  sug- 
gestions to  all  Latinists,  whatever  view  they  may  take 
as  to  pronunciation.  It  proves,  too,  that  the  differ- 
ences in  pronunciation  among  the  Romans,  before 
mentioned,  are  not  mere  matters  of  fancy  in  the  brains 
of  some  English  Latinists. 


SPECIMEN 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ARGUMENTS     USED    11?^    BEHALF    OF    THE 
REFORMED   MODE. 


92.  How  and  in  what  degree  these  diflBculties, 
some  of  which  have  been  mentioned  in  Chapter  lU, 
have  been  overcome,  and  that  others,  who  may  not 
have  the  means  at  hand  for  examination,  may  see  the 
arguments  used  by  the  new  "  Romans,"  we  here  give 
verbatim  extracts  from  their  own  works  on  the  sub- 
ject. 

93.  Professor  W.  H.  Klapp,  M.  D.,  of  Philadel- 
phia, published  last  year  (1878)  "a  compend*  of 
what  grammarians  say  on  the  subject,  and  the  argu- 
ments used  by  writers  of  the  present  day  ...  in 
favor  of  the  phonetic  method  of  pronouncing  Latin." 
Here  are  his  condensed  arguments  to  prove  that  c  was 
always  hard,  as  k  in  "  kitty. ^* 

94.  1.  A  large  number  of  forms  occur  in  which 
the  letter  following  c  is  changed ;  now,  if  the  sound 
of  the  c  changed  too,  it  would  form  such  a  differently 
sounding  word,  that  no  one,  not  even  a  poet  with  all 
the  license  allowed  him,  would  dare  to  use  it.     For 

*  This  compend  b  from  the  ablest  writers  in  both  Europe  and 
America.    For  fullest  discussion,  see  Corssen  and  Roby. 


« 

/ 


I  •  * 

1 


60 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


instance,  Virgil  has  "replictus"  for  ^'replicitus.'* 
Again,  words  occur  where  the  final  e  has  been  omit- 
ted, which,  if  the  c  had  two  sounds,  would  change  it 
from  an  «  to  a  ^,  as  in  **dic"  for  "dice,"  "due"  for 
"duce,"  "fac"  for  "face,"  etc.  Then,  again,  the  c 
would  have  had  to  change  its  sound  when  ai  became 
ae,  as  in  Kailius,  afterward  written  Caelius.  We  have 
adverbs  where  a  letter  was  dropped  out,  where,  if  c 
had  two  sounds,  it  must  necessarily  have  been  changed, 
as  in  "audacter  "  for  "  audaciter."  This  would  have 
taken  place,  too,  in  an  enormously  large  number  of 
other  words — e.  g.,  difficulter  and  difficile,  capio  and 
cepi,  cano  and  cecini,  acer  and  acris,  locus  and  loci^ 
lacus  and  loci,  with  the  two  datives  lacibus  and  lacvr- 
bus,  piscis  and  piscosus,  etc. 

96.  2.  Quintilian  says  (i,  7,  10) :  "  K  quidem  in 
nuUis  verbis  utendum  puto,  nisi  quae  significat,  etiam 
ut  sola  ponatur.  Hoc  eo  non  omisi,  quod  quidam 
eam,  quotiens  A  sequatur,  necessariam  credunt,  cum 
sit  C  littera,  quae  ad  omnes  vocales  vim  suam  perfe- 
rat."  K,  we  know,  was  used  in  certain  words,  as 
Elalends,  Karthago,  etc.  Now  there  was  a  very  ani- 
mated discussion  among  grammarians  in  Quintilian's 
time  as  to  whether  the  Koman  alphabet  needed  more 
letters  or  already  had  too  many.  Vide  "  Quintilian," 
i,  4,  7-9.    He  there  instances  k  and  q. 

96,  Terent.  Maurus  (about  300  a.  d.)  speaks  also 
about  these  letters,  and  says  that  h  and  q  are  both  use- 
less, since  k,  q,  or  c  can  be  used  after  any  vowel  with 
the  same  sound  (vss.  204-209).  I  quote  merely  the 
last  line,  "refert  nihilum,  k  prior  an  q  siet  an  c." 
Again,  Priscian  (i,  page  12)  says,  '*  k  enim  et  q,  quam- 
vis  figura  et  nomine  videantur  aliquam  habere  diffe- 


ARGUMENTS  FOR  THE  REFORMED  MODE.         61 

rentiam,  cum  c  tamen  eadem  tarn  in  sono  vocum  quam 
in  metio  potestatem  continent." 

97.  3.  In  transcribing  Greek  and  Latin  words 
kappa  is  always  written  for  c,  and  vice  versa;  where- 
as, in  some  words,  as  Cicero,  for  instance,  would  have 
been  mucli  nearer  the  sound  if  c  had  been  pronounced 
soft ;  or  in  many  instances  could  have  been  used  as  in 
the  above  example  of  Cicero. 

98.  4.  The  argument  against  the  pronunciation  of 
c  like  k,  that  apparently  has  the  most  force,  is  the 
confusion  in  words  that  end  in  -do  and  -Ho  ;  but  this, 
too,  really  is  groundless,  at  least  for  high  Latin,  be- 
cause the  confusion  was  not  one  of  sound,  but  of  the 
different  suffixes  -cio,  -tio  ;  and  this  confusion  was  of 
a  late  date.  The  earliest  example  we  have  of  -tio  for 
-cio  waa  in  A.  d.  192-211  (Corssen,  i,  50-67),  and 
there  are  only  seven  instances  of  -ci  for  -ti  in  inscrip- 
tions before  the  seventh  century  of  our  era  (Roby's 
"  Latin  Grammar,"  p.  62). 

99.  Mommsen,  in  his  notes  on  Livy,  p.  175,  says, 
"  Nunquam  in  libro  Veronensi  commutatas  reperies 
litterafl  c  et  t,  quod  qui  ante  septimum  saeculum  ob- 
tinuisse  sibi  persuadent,  ne  ii  vehementer  errant.'* 
Of  these  seven  inscriptions,  three  are  given  by  col- 
lectors who  lived  when  the  false  spelling  had  become 
usual ;  one  is  from  a  notoriously  bad  speller ;  another 
is  from  an  inscription  containing  many  misspelled 
words,  and  the  remaining  two  are  from  an  African 
inscription  of  about  A.  d.  230.     And  even  if  these  last 
two  be  rightly  copied,  it  is  absurd  to  lay  down  a  rule 
for  the  spelling  or  pronunciation  of  a  word  in  Cicero's 
time,  from  the  spelling  of  the  same  word  in  a  time 
when  Latin  had  fallen,  and  could  hardly  even  be 


V 


62 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OP  LATIN. 


called  classical !  But  eyen  supposing  this  confusion 
existed,  does  it  really  prove  anything  ?  We  have  ex- 
amples in  many  languages  where  t  and  k  are  ha- 
bitually confounded ;  one  will  suffice  :  the  Canadian 
French  always  say  mekier  and  moilcie  for  mUier  and 
moitie, 

100.  The  following  condensed  argument  for  ^  hard 
is  also  from  Dr.  Klapp :  "  G^  always  hard,  as  ^  in 
'give:'' 

1.  The  vowel  following  g  is  continually  changed, 
without  any  evidence  on  the  part  of  the  grammarians 
of  a  desire  to  change  the  sound  of  the  ^— e.  g.,  ''ma- 
lignus"  for  "maligenus,"  "gigno"  for  "gigeno," 
"  tegmen  "  for  "  tegimen,"  etc. 

2.  In  transcribing  from  Latin  to  Greek,  and  vice 
versa,  g  is  always  represented  by  y,  and  y  by  g, 

3.  There  is  no  trace  to  be  found  in  the  gram- 
marians of  ^'s  having  any  but  the  one  sound  in  high- 
Latin  times. 

4.  There  is  no  evidence  of  g'%  having  a  sound  like 
the  English  y,  before  the  fifth  century  A.  d.  At  that 
time  we  find  "magestates  "  written  for  "  majestates.'* 

OE. 

101.  Take  now  the  discussion  of  the  diphthong  oe 
first  from  Koby  and  then  from  Blair,  in  full : 

"  The  sound  of  oe  is  somewhat  perplexing.  Mr. 
Ellis  has  suggested  (*  Transactions  of  the  Philosophi- 
cal Society,'  1867,  Supplement,  p.  65,  and  'Early 
English  Pronunciation,'  p.  529)  that  Greek  oi  was 
originally  ui  with  the  first  element  preponderating. 
Latin  oe  was  originally  ue  with  the  second  element 
preponderating. 


• 


r  \ 


i 


ARGUMENTS  FOR  THE  REFORMED  MODK         63 

**  This  seems  possible  enough  for  the  Greek,  as  o 
had  frequently  that  approximation  to  our  u  which  is 
here  presented  (see  Appendix  A,  XII). 

102.  "  But  the  Latin  sound  is  much  more  doubt- 
ful. It  is  true  that  oe  is  the  successor  of  Latin  oi  and 
the  representative  of  Greek  ot,  and  that  both  oi  and 
oe  passed  frequently  into  u — e.  g.,  coirare,  coerare, 
curare  ;  moerus,  murus  ;  moenia,  munia  ;  poena,  pu- 
nire,  etc.  ;  but  I  am  not  aware  of  any  indication  that 
Latin  o  had  any  such  approximation  to  our  u  ;  and 
oe  never  alternated  with  ui.  The  passage  of  oi  and  oe 
into  u  seems  to  imply  that  at  that  time  the  first,  not 
the  second,  element,  the  o  not  the  i  or  e,  was  in  the 
preponderance. 

103.  "  In  imperial  times  oe  became  confused  with 
e  and  ae,  and  then  the  second  element  may  have  been 
preponderant.  And  this  was  the  case  also  in  the 
words  which  in  very  early  times  were  spelled  with  oe — 
e.  g.,  loebertas,  oloes  (cf.  sections  264,  363,  366),  and 
afterward  were  written  with  i.  I  am  inclined  to 
think  that  the  diphthongal  sound  implied  by  the  let- 
ters 0  and  iy  or  o  and  e  (with  their  Latin  sounds),  is 
the  safest  conclusion,  and  that  in  the  words  which 
the  ordinary  language  spells  oe  (e.  g.,  amoenus,  coepi, 
moenia,  foedus,  poeni,  poena,  oboedia),  the  stress 
should  be  laid  on  the  o  rather  than  the  e  "  (Roby,  p. 

Ixx). 

104.  Professor  Blair  says  :  *<  The  sign  oe  is  repre- 
sentative of  the  most  unstable  and  therefore  the  most 
nncertain  of  all  the  Latin  vowel-sounds.  If  it  only 
marked  one  stage  of  the  descent  oi,  oe,  e,  we  might 
surely  infer  at  least  a  close  approximation  to  its  sound, 
as  we  do  for  that  of  ae  in  the  scale  ai,  ae,  e. 


04         THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

105.  "  But  the  old  Latin  oi  descended  through  oe 
in  three  directions,  namely  to  u,  to  i,  and  to  e  (or  oe). 
Thus : 

oisus,  oesus, 

coiravit,  coerayit 

ploira,  ploera, 

TToivrj,  poena, 


nj 


ARGUMENTS  FOR  THE  REFORMED  MODE. 


65 


usus. 
curavit. 
plura, 
punire,  etc. 


Also 


foidus, 
quoi. 


foedus. 


fidus. 
vicus. 
cui. 


106.  "(While  the  cases  ending  in  i  of  stems  in  o, 
have  in  this  i  the  remains  of  former  oi,  BspopuH  for 
populoiy  Romani  for  Romanoi,  the  intervening  form 
oe  is  said  to  appear  in  a  few  accidentally  preserved 
ancient  instances,  as  Pilumnoe,  poploe,  nominative  plu- 
ral); and 


moiros, 

'noivrly 

coena, 

obscoenus, 

Coelius, 

coeteri. 


pomoerium,  pomerium. 

poena,  paenitet  (and  poenitet). 

caena  (and  cena,  Cato  and  Terence). 

obscaenus  (and  obscenus). 

Caelius. 

caeteri  (and  ceteri),  etc. 


107.  "From  these  observations  we  should  be 
obliged  to  infer  that  the  sound  of  oe  diverged  from 
that  of  oi  in  at  least  three  different  ways.  And  when 
now  we  turn  to  inquire  in  what  order  of  time  those 
various  forms  of  orthography  prevailed,  and  to  what 
extent  respectively,  we  find  in  Corssen's  exhibition, 
drawn  from  inscriptions : 

"  1.  That  oi  (having  begun  from  the  earliest  times 


\ 


1 


to  give  way  to  oe)  had  ceased-  entirely  to  be  written 
before  the  classical  period. 

"  2.  That  from  an  early  period  %  was  collaterally 
with  oe  a  substitute  for  earlier  oi  in  the  terminations 
of  cases  of  nouns.  (In  this  place  oe  gave  way  entirely 
to  %  in  the  classical  period.) 

"3.  That  from  the  time  of  Plautus  on,  oe  in  the 
stems  of  words  gave  way  to  u,  which  became  the  pre*- 
vailing  orthography  after  the  time  of  the  Gracchi  and 
through  the  classical  age, 

"4.  The  few  words  which  during  this  time  re- 
tained the  written  form  oe  were  pronounced  by  the 
later  Latins  with  e, 

108.  "The  most  positive  inference  which  we  seem 
to  draw  from  such  evidence  is,  that  along  with  the 
sign  of  oi,  the  sound  also  of  that  diphthong  had  dis- 
appeared from  the  Latin  before  the  classical  age. 
And  the  proposal,  therefore,  of  some  modem  scholars 
to  return  to  that  antiquated  sound  for  oe,  is  not  in 
conflict  with  the  broadly  marked  general  tendency 
of  the  Latin  toward  a  reduction  of  its  diphthongal 
sounds,  but  singularly  at  variance  with  the  particu- 
lar history  of  the  diphthong  oe.  The  zeal  of  reform 
has  impelled  some  to  deny  the  existence  of  any  irregu- 
larity or  obscurity  in  the  Latin  pronunciation ;  but 
these  can  not  help  us  here,  nor  can  we  adopt  any  such 
adventurous  dogma  as  prescribes  for  our  practice  a 
sound  which  was  obsolete  for  Cicero. 

109.  "There  is  certainly  a  consolation  for  our 
ignorance  in  the  belief  that  the  Romans  themselves 
did  not  know  for  any  length  of  time  together  a  cer- 
tain sound  for  this  diphthong.  And  if  now  it  be 
thought  necessary  for  us  to  fix  some  uniform  sound, 


3 


66 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


by  which  in  our  practice  to  render  those  words  which, 
in  printed  texts  furnished  us,  appear  written  with  the 
sign  oe,  we  must  choose  between  the  sounds  of  e,  as 
in  fetuSy  French,  prStre,  or  that  of  German  oe  (5),  in 
Goethe.     The  first  of  these  sounds  is  recommended  : 

"1.  By  considerations  of  convenience,  chiefly  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  in  almost  every  instance  (except, 
namely,  in  the  word  coetus,  and  possibly  a  few  others) 
the  words  which  are  spelled  in  our  texts  sometimes 
with  oe  are  frequently  (some  as  frequently)  found 
with  aCy  as,  obscoenus,  obscaenus,  and  even  obscenus 
(French,  obscine);  poenitet,  paenitet ;  moeror,  maeror, 

6 DC* ,  e  tC« 

"2.  Where  better  reasons  fail,  the  authority  of 
the  post-classic  Latin  deserves  to  be  heard  ;  and  thi8 
speaks  for  e.  On  the  other  hand,  the  general  turn 
taken  by  oe  into  u,  in  the  practice  of  the  cultivated 
Romans  of  the  classical  period,  establishes  a  good  de- 
gree of  probability  for  the  prevalence  at  that  time 
among  the  educated  of  a  sound  which  conjecture  can 
represent  no  better  than  by  that  which  the  German 
scholars  have  adopted ;  the  sound,  namely,  of  their 
own  oe  (nearly  the  French  eu  in  fleur), 

*'Thus  the  oe  mproelium  would  sound  nearly  like 
0  in  English  world,  or  i  in  English  whirl "  (Blair,  pp. 
61-64). 

For  the  TT-sound  of  F,  we  quote  from  Professor 
Tetlow,  of  Boston : 

110. — "  The  W-sound  inferred  from  the  Frequent  In- 
terchange  of  Vowel  U  and  Consonant  U, 

**  Consonant  u  and  vowel  u  were  frequently  inter- 
changed.    Thus,  in  Plautus,  the  dissyllables  tuos. 


lam 


i 


ARGUMENTS  FOR  THE  REFORMED  MODE. 


67 


1 1. 


t 


suosy  puery  and  fuity  become,  by  hardening  of  vowel 
u  into  consonant  w,  monosyllables ;  thus  :  twoSy  swoSy 
fwity  pwer.  In  Virgil,  genua  becomes  dissyllabic, 
genwa.  For  the  earlier  miluus,  and  the  adjective  re- 
licuuSy  we  have,  at  the  close  of  the  first  century  A.  d., 
and  afterward,  milvus  and  reliquus,  respectively.  On 
the  other  hand,  consonant  u  was  frequently  vocalized. 
Thus  for  silYCBy  Horace  has  sUxjcb  ;  for  the  dissylla- 
ble, aqucBy  Lucretius,  who  belongs  to  the  first  century 
B.  c,  has  the  trisyllable  acuw.  The  same  poet  has 
for  solYOy  dissolYo,  etc.,  solxjo,  dissolvoy  etc.  All  are 
familiar  with  the  fact  that  from  the  presents  soIyo 
and  voIyo  we  have  the  participles  solvtus  and  volxjtuSy 
just  as  from  acxio  we  have  acvtus.  Now  these  fre- 
quent interchanges  are  natural  and  intelligible  if  con- 
sonant u  and  vowel  u  closely  resembled  each  other  in 
sound  ;  in  other  words,  if  consonant  u  had  the  sound 
of  English  w ;  they  are  unnatural  and  unintelligible 
if  consonant  u  was  sounded  as  English  v. 

111. — "Argument  drawn  from  Phenomena  illustrat- 
ing the  Semi-vocal  Power  of  Consonant  U. 

"  Consonant  u  between  two  vowels  fell  away,  or,  as- 
suming its  vowel  power,  either  coalesced  with  the  pre- 
ceding vowel,  forming  a  diphthong,  or  gave  rise  to  a 
single  vowel  with  long  quantity.  Of  the  falling  away 
of  consonant  u  between  two  vowels,  we  have  familiar 
illustrations  in  the  tenses  formed  from  perfects  in  aviy 
eviy  and  ivL  Thus  from  amaveram  we  have  amaram  ; 
from  fleveram  we  have  fleram  ;  from  audiveram  we 
have  audieram.  Instances  in  which  consonant  u  as- 
sumed its  vowel  power  and  formed  a  diphthong  with 
the  preceding  vowel,  are  :  navta  from  noYita  ;  avceps 


ARGUMENTS  FOR  THE  REFORMED  MODE. 


68 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


69 


from  aviceps;  cavtor  from  ca\itor.  Cases  in  which 
consonant  u  between  two  vowels  resumed  its  vowel 
power,  and  gave  rise  to  a  simple  vowel  with  long 
quantity,  are  mvto  from  moYito  ;  prvdens  from  pr(h 
Yidens  j  and  jvnior  from  juYenior,  Can  the  disap- 
pearance of  the  letter  in  the  first  case,  the  formation 
of  a  diphthong  in  the  second,  the  production  of  a 
simple  vowel  with  long  quantity  in  the  third,  be  ex- 
plained on  the  supposition  that  consonant  u  had  the 
sound  of  English  v,  a  sound  that  is  as  persistent  as 
its  related  consonant  b,  or  as  any  other  consonant  in 
the  alphabet  ?  Are  not  these  phenomena,  on  the  other 
hand,  easy  of  explanation  on  the  supposition  that  it 
had  the  semi- vowel  power  olwf 

112. — "  TJie  W'sound  inferred  from  the  Absence  of 
Consonant  U  after  Short  I, 

'*  Consonant  u  is  almost  never  found  in  Latin  after 
short  I  Why  ?  If  it  had  the  sound  of  w,  the  reason 
is  obvious.  For  w  following  short  i  gives  a  combina- 
tion so  difficult  to  pronounce  that,  wherever  it  oc- 
curred, this  consonant  would,  in  obedience  to  the  tend- 
ency of  which  I  have  spoken,  have  fallen  away  be- 
tween two  vowels.  In  vita  for  vlvita,  from  vivOy  and 
in  (Btas  for  cBvitas,  from  cevuniy  the  v  fell  away,  though 
the  preceding  vowel  was  long.  But,  if  consonant  u 
had  the  sound  of  English  v,  the  obstacle  to  pronunci- 
ation would  vanish  at  once,  for  v  is  easy  to  pronounce 
after  short  i.  Witness  the  English  words  giving  and 
living.  This  absence  of  consonant  u,  then,  in  the 
situation  I  have  mentioned,  unimportant,  perhaps,  in 
itself,  is,  in  support  of  other  stronger  arguments,  also 
entitled  to  weight." 


^  w,i 


113.  An  examination  of  these  extracts  from  the 
arguments  of  those  who  favor  the  innovation  will 
show  that  the  position  of  the  writer,  as  to  the  basis 
on  which  the  so-called  Roman  system  is  founded,  is 
fact.  The  reason  for  pronouncing  g  *  always  as  ^  in 
get  may  be  regarded  by  some  as  valid  and  decisive. 
This  letter  is  ably  treated  by  Roby,  Corssen,  and 
others.  That  c  was  always  like  k  is  not  without  diffi- 
culty and  difference  of  opinion.  This  may  be  inferred 
from  the  quotations  already  cited.  That  there  is  a 
real  difference  of  opinion  among  those  who  favor  re- 
form in  England  is  perfectly  clear  from  a  statement 
made  by  Professor  Max  MuUer  ("  Academy,"  Decem- 
ber 15, 1871).  He  says  :  "  As  I  looked  upon  a  reform 
in  the  English  pronunciation  of  vowels  as  far  more 
important  than  any  improvement  in  the  pronuncia- 
tion of  certain  consonants,  my  chief  object  was  to 
show  that  some  compromise  might  be  possible  in  re- 
gard to  c*  ;  and  that,  in  allowing  their  weaker  breth- 
ren some  liberty  in  the  pronunciation  of  this  one  letter 
before  i  and  e,  thorough-going  reformers  need  not  have 
felt  ashamed,  as  if  sacrificing  an  important  principle." 
The  weaker  brethren  referred  to  are  those  who  do  not 
feel  inclined  to  pronounce  c  like  k,  before  e,  i,  y,  cb,  ob, 
and  eu.  Some  of  their  reasons  are  given  in  the  con- 
spectus on  the  letter  c  already  quoted. 

114.  The  perplexing  and  wholly  unsatisfactory 
condition  of  the  diphthong  ob  is  perfectly  obvious 
from  the  discussion  represented  by  Roby  and  Blair, 
and  no  abler  representatives  of  the  subject  can  be 
found. 


See  sections  68,  354 ;  also,  181. 


70 


I 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


C  AND  G. 


115.  C  and  g  are  two  letters  in  regard  to  whicb 
the  reformers  seem  to  think  their  position  impreg- 
nable. Many  English  Latinists  quietly  concede  the 
claim.  It  would  not  seem  difficult,  however,  to  bring 
to  bear  such  proofs  as  will  show  that  their  strongest 
positions  may  be  even  successfully  assailed  by  the  most 
powerful  arguments. 

116.  In  reviewing  the  second  edition  of  this  work, 
Professor  Haldeman  says  :  **  But  (as  I  havalreadi  pub- 
lisht),  if  the  ancient  Latin  grammarians  were  not  cor- 
rect in  assigning  to  their  '  c '  (except  that  they  men- 
tion that  Caius  was  herd  as  Gains,  and  Cnaeus  as 
GnsBus)  the  power  of  Ic  (which  might  hav  bin  inferrd 
without  their  evidence),  and  if  cakcer  (a  crab  and 
an  ulcer)  was  pronounst  cantsher,  caniser,  or  canser, 
the  English  '  canker '  and  Ital.  '  canchero '  (which  Mr. 
Story  neglected  to  cite),  ar  without  etimologi.  Com- 
pare ciTHARA,  Ital.  '  chitarra '  (ch  =  k)  guitar  ;  gib- 
Bosus,  Wallachian  *  gheb '  (gh  =  g  in  get)  gibbous  (g 
in  give) ;  reugio,  WaJlach.  '  relighie ' ;  sceptrum, 
Wallach.  '  skeptru  ' ;  sceptici,  the  sceptics  ;  and  com- 
pare CELT^  with  Welsh  'celtiad,'  a  'Celt' — not  selt, 
but  helt, 

117.  "  It  will  be  observd  that,  besides  disgracing 
Latin  sounds  by  presenting  them  in  a  laughabl  trav- 
esti  made  up  of  English  spellings — obstructionists  ar 
fond  of  taking  the  Latin  name  of  Cicero  as  an  illus- 
tration of  tru  Latin,  the  first  sillab  being  easili  turned 
into  kick,  which  must  amuse  the  groundlings  in  its 
Welsh  form  'cic'  They  shoud  not  neglect  the  Latin 
name  of  Csesar  (cae  like  ki  in  kind,  with  hissing  «), 


ARGUMENTS  FOR  THE  REFORMED  MODE.         71 


f 


which  gave  *  Kaisar '  to  Greek,  '  Kaiser '  (emperor)  to 
German,  and  the  name  of  their  old  enemi '  Iwl  Caisar ' 
to  the  modern  Welsh.  Even  the  Hindoos  know  the 
name  as  *  Qaisar '  (at  in  aisle,  and  pure  s),  and  the 
Malays  as  '  Kheitsar.' " 

118.  "Professor  Haldeman  is  inconsistent  with 
himself.    While  implying  that  Jews  are  unsafe  guides 
in  pronouncing  their  own  dead  tongue,  the  professor 
wishes  to  prove  the  ancient  pronunciation  of  Ccesar 
by  appealing  to  the  modern  Welsh  Caisar,  and  the 
German  Kaiser.     It  would  be  as  good  an  argument 
to  say  that  we  pronounce  John  '  Short'  because  it  is 
so   commonly  pronounced  by  untutored   Germans. 
And  so  isolated  instances  are  picked  out  from  Italian 
and  Wallachian  with  the  hard  sound  of  c  to  show 
that  the  Romans  so  pronounced  it ;  but  the  French, 
Spanish,  Portuguese,  and  usual  Italian  sound  of  c  go 
for  nothing  in  his  argument.     It  would  be  the  same 
as  to  say  that  because  we  sometimes  pronounce  g  a&j, 
therefore  the  Goths  so  pronounced  it,  notwithstand- 
ing the  wide  diversity  of  its  pronunciation  in  Eng- 
lish, Dutch,  Platt-Deutsch,  and  Danish.     I  am  not 
arguing  against  the  Koman  method,  because  I  believe 
in  it,  but  I  protest  against  such  unscientific  and 
childish  proofs.     It  looks  like  special  pleading  and 
indifference  to  truth  for  its  own  sake."    So  writes 
Professor  Blackwell,   who  speaks  the  languages  to 
which  he  makes  reference. 

119.  That  the  reformers  do  not  agree,  and  vir- 
tually confess  that  they  do  not  stand  on  solid  ground 
in  regard  to  c  even,  may  be  inferred  from  Max  Mil- 
ler's remark  (see  section  113)  "  that  some  compromise 
might  be  possible  in  regard  to  c" 


72 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


Mr.  Allen  (well  known  as  an  author  in  the  series 
of  text-books  by  Allen  and  Greenough),  who  first 
wrote  the  expression  "  Roman  mode,'*^  says  :  "  About 
the  '  Koman '  pronunciation  of  several  of  the  conso- 
nants, especially  c,  g,  and  v,  as  to  which  the  usage  of 
every  tongue  derived  from  the  Latin  might  suggest 
a  query,  I  am  rather  skeptical.  Who  knows  how  the 
Romans  pronounced  gn,  sc,  or  the  initial  j  f '' 

Again,  this  distinguished  author  and  scholar  says  : 
"  I  don't,  however,  believe,  for  one  thing,  that  the 
Roman  v  (consonant  u)  was  the  English  w,  or  any- 
thing much  like  it ;  it  may  have  been  near  the  old- 
fashioned  German  w,  which  has  slid  naturally  into  v, 
just  as  the  Latin  did.  And  I  think  we  can  not  do 
better  than  let  it  stay  so."  * 

Such  words  from  such  a  source  will  have  influ- 
ence with  every  candid  inquirer  after  truth.  It  is  not 
our  purpose  to  discuss  what  may  be  called  the  inter- 
nal proofs  for  the  so-called  Roman  mode.  As  the 
matter  now  stands  before  the  world,  it  is  wholly 
unnecessary.  At  present  we  content  ourselves  with 
giving  the  results  reached  by  scholars — more  espe- 
cially the  results  reached  by  those  who  have  adopted 
or  advocated  the  reformed  method.  We  are  certainly 
not  called  on  to  disprove  what  some  of  the  ablest 
friends  of  a  system  concede  has  never  been  settled  by 
facts. 

*  "  The  pronunciation  of  the  Latin  p  is  not  known  with  cer- 
tainty. .  .  .  The  letter  g  is  about  the  hardest  sound  to  master  in 
modem  Greek,  German,  and  Danish,  and  it  may  have  been  variable 
in  Latin." — Dr.  Blackwell. 


CHAPTER  V. 

SCHEMES  OF  THE  BEFOBMED  MODE. 

131.  We  append  several  schemes  prepared  by  some 
of  the  ablest  defenders  of  the  system,  that  others  may 
the  better  judge  of  the  justice  and  truthfulness  of 
what  shall  hereafter  be  said. 

132.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  those  favor- 
ing a  reform  in  Latin  pronunciation  have  had  access 
to  sources  of  information  identically  the  same,  and 
yet,  it  is  but  fair  to  say,  that  the  results  reached  are 
far  from  being  the  same.  Indeed,  it  might  not  be 
difficult  to  show  that  the  discrepancies  among  their 
various  schemes  are  so  great  as  to  discredit  the 
evidence  in  support  of  the  system  and  render  uni- 
formity of  practice,  as  things  now  are,  a  sheer  im- 
possibility. 

133.  I.  Scheme  of  Professor  J.  F.  Richabdson, 
of  Rochester  University  (1859)  : 


&    =  a  in  &h. 

ft    =  a  in  fate. 

1    =  ee  in  fleet. 

6    =  0  in  note. 

ii    =  00  in  boot. 

ae  =  ay  =  i. 

OB  =  oi  in  coil  (nearly). 


a   =  a  in  ah. 
6    =  a  in  fane. 
i    =  ee  in  flee. 
6    =  o  in  tone, 
u   =  00  in  moon, 
au  =  ow  in  now. 


74         THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


c    =  k. 

g  =  g  in  get 

QU  =  k. 

j  =y. 

s    =  s  in  sin. 

T    =  t  in  to. 

V    =  V  in  English. 

With  the  sonnds  of  the  vowels  here  given,  Profess- 
or Haldeman,  whose  treatise  appeared  in  1851,  sub- 
stantiallj  agrees.  He  is  decided  in  his  opinion  that 
the  short  vowel  never  sounded  like  a  in  at,  e  in  ebb, 
i  in  it,  0  in  ox,  u  in  np. 

In  these  schemes  the  letter  or  letters  about  which 
there  is  a  difference  of  opinion  are  in  many  cases  in 
small  capitals. 

134.  II.  The  Messrs.  Tafel,  following  Corssen, 
propose  "  the  practical  Roman  method,"  as  here  given 
(1860)  : 

1.    SOUNDS  OF  THE  VOWELS. 

A  long,  as  in  the  English  father.  A  short,  the 
same  sound  shorter. 

E  long,  as  in  the  English  fate.  E  short,  as  in 
then  and  dishes. 

1  long,  as  in  machine  and  caprice.  I  short,  as  in 
sit. 

0  long,  as  in  hole.     0  short,  as  in  nor. 

U  long,  as  in  rude.    U  short,  as  in  put. 


2.  DIPHTHONGS. 


Ae,  like  ai  in  aisle. 

Aw,  like  ou  in  fowl;  before  d,  like  ou  in  English 
gout. 

Euy  in  two  syllables,  as  in  Italian  eu. 
Oe,  like  oi  in  hoil,  or  oy  in  hoy. 


SCHEMES  OF  THE  REFORMED  MODK 


75 


Bern.    Ai  in  ain,  ais,  ei  in  dein,  oi  in  proin,  are 
to  be  separated. 


8.  THE  SEMI-VOWELS. 


/  in  jacio,  like  y  in  year. 
V,  like  English  v. 


4.  THE  CONSONANTS. 

A.    OUTTUBALS. 

C  like  k  ;  before  e,  i  (y),  like  ts,  as  in  glades,  fa- 
ds, etc. 

Qu,  before  a  and  o,  like  k  followed  by  a  mute  u 
(in  put) ;  before  ae,  e,  and  i,  like  k  followed  by  v. 

O,  always  as  in  good  and  get.    H,  as  in  English. 

B.    LABIALS. 

P,  B,  F,  and  Ph,  as  in  English. 

0.    DENTALS. 

T,  as  in  English.  Ti,  when  followed  by  another 
vowel,  as  in  natio,  like  ts  ;  except  when  preceded  by 
8,  X,  or  another  t,  as  tristior,  mixtio,  Bruttii,  in  old 
infinitives  in  er,  as  nitier,  quatier,  in  Greek  words 
such  as  Miltiades,  Boeotia,  Aegyptii,  and  at  the  begin- 
ning of  words,  as  in  tiara,  in  all  which  cases  it  is  pro- 
nounced like  t.    D,  as  in  English. 

D.    UQTTIDS. 

L,  R,  M,  N,  and  NQ,  as  in  English. 

B.    SIBILANTS. 

8  and  X,  as  in  English.  Z  like  the  Italian  « — viz., 
ts  or  ds. 


I 


76 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


SCHEMES  OF  THE  REFORMED  MODE. 


77 


135.  III.  Scheme  of  Professor  Roby,  of  Cam- 
bridge, England  (1871) : 

ft    =  a  in  father.  &   =  a  in  chatte  (French). 

£    =  e  in  pet  (nearly).         fi  =  in  pet  or  met,  short- 
ened. 
1    =  i  in  machine.  f    =  in  pin  (practically). 

0    =  Italian  open  o  =  o  in    6   =  Italian  open  o  =  o  in 

home.  dot. 

C   =  00  in  pool.  tJ  =  u  in  pnll  (nearly). 

f    =  u  in  Miiller.  au  =  au  in  haus  (German). 

AE  =  a  in  Bath  (nearly). 
OE,  let  the  stress  be  on  the  o  rather  than  the  e. 
eu  =  eu  in  Europa.  ei  =  ei  in  feint, 

ui  =  oui  (French).  g  =  g  in  giye. 

c    =  k  in  kitty.  r    =  r  in  ferry  ;  always 

j    =  y  in  year.  trilled. 

8    =  ss  in  hiss.  bs  =  ps. 

X    =  ks.     Ti  =  te,  always. 

QU,  as  in  English  =  queen, 

PH,  CH,  TH  were  not  like  English  /,  German  ch, 
English  th,  but  aa  p  +  h,  k  +  h,  t  +  h,  sounds  some- 
what difficult  to  Englishmen,  but  often  heard  from 
Irishmen.     (Roby's  Grammar.) 

136.  IV.  The  method  as  presented  by  Professor 
W.  G.  Richardson,  of  Central  University  (1876)  : 

VOWELS. 

Long  and  short  Yowels  generally  differ  in  quantity, 
not  quality  of  sound. 

a  is  sounded  like  a  in  father.  It  has  the  rich  Ital- 
ian sound  of  that  letter,  as  indicated  in  the  dictiona- 
ries of  Worcester  and  Webster.    The  sounds  we  hear 


in  fate  and  fat  are  unknown  in  the  Latin  a  ;  so  also 
is  that  intermediate  sound  of  which  some  otherwise 
good  speakers  are  guilty  in  saying,  or  trying  to  say, 
"  Our  Father."    &  has  the  sound  of  a  in  diadem. 

B  is  French  i,  which  Surenne  properly  represents 
as  our  e  in  met,  very  slightly  prolonged,  e  is  same 
quality,  differing  only  in  quantity.  It  is  French  c, 
or  e  in  met,  still  more  prolonged  than  e  in  tre8.  Thus 
fetCy  as  rapidly  enunciated  among  the  Parisians,  is 
represented  in  the  works  of  English  lexicographers 
by  fate.  This  is  certainly  a  convenient  approximate 
sound. 

t  as  t  in  machine  ;  i  as  t  in  purity.  (See  site  in 
Webster's  Unabridged  Dictionary.) 

0  as  0  in  no.    For  6  Roby  gives  dot,  not,  omit. 

u  like  00  in  moon  ;  H  short  like  u  in  full. 

Y  intermediate  between  i  and  u.  It  is  French  u 
or  German  u  (Miiller  is  nearer  Miller  than  Muller). 
For  convenience'  sake,  then  rank  y  with  i. 

A  short  vowel  rendered  long  by  position,  as, 
for  instance,  e  in  est  and  esse,  is  still  pronounced 
short. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  as  to  final  short  sylla- 
bles ;  e.  g.,  '*ess6,"  "amatur,"  "amatiis." 

Distinguish  "fructus"  and  "fructus." 

DIPHTHONGS. 

137.  In  all  these,  each  element  is  heard.  Let  the 
combination  be  rapid. 

AE  or  ai  like  ay  (yes).  In  rapid  utterance,  it  is 
nearly  our  personal  pronoun  of  the  first  person.  I  is 
a  compound  sound  made  of  ah  and  ee,  (See  Walker's 
Dictionary.) 


78 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIOXS  OF  LATIN. 


au  like  ow  in  now.  The  analysis  is  ah-ow.  The 
rapid  combination  is  ow  in  now. 

ei  as  in  yein^  slightly  drawled,  and  not  like  the 
English  i  in  time. 

EU  as  eh'OO  ;  many  give  the  sound  of  eu  in  feud. 

OE  or  oi  like  the  oi  in  oil. 

ui  like  French  oui  ;  very  near  our  pronoun  we. 

The  American  Philological  Association  recom- 
mends the  use  of  the  Italian  sounds  of  the  vowels  and 
diphthongs. 

CONSONANTS. 

138.  d,  f,  A,  k,  I,  n,  p,  t,  as  in  English.  So  b 
like  English  b,  except  that  bs=^j>8.  Thus  urbs, 
oorps. 

c  always  hard,  like  English  h  (See  Bullions's 
Latin  Grammar,  §  17,  4,  note.) 

g  always  hard,  as  in  give. 

j  like/  in  hallelujah  ;  i.  e.,  like  y  in  yet. 

M  at  the  end  of  words  appears  to  have  been  scarcely 
audible.     (Roby.) 

nc  is  like  ngk  j  as  ancora,  like  anchor. 

ng  like  ngg  ;  as  frango,  like  anger. 

QU  as  in  queen  (Roby).  But  the  combination  quu 
was  odious  to  the  Roman  eye  and  eai*.  For  quum 
always  write  cum.  Even  equus  and  loquuntur  may 
be  barely  tolerated,  and  were  usually  written  equos  or 
ectis  and  locuntur, 

r  always  trilled,  as  in  French. 

s  always  hissing,  as  in  this  ;  never  like  z.  Thus, 
nos,  tres,  trans.  Every  English  compound  with  trans 
should  have  the  hissing  sound.  (See  the  English  dic- 
tionaries, Worcester,  Webster,  and  Smart.) 

ti  with  the  pure  sound  of  t  always  preserved. 


SCHEMES  OP  THE  REFORMED  MODE. 


79 


Thus,  natio,  nah-te-o  and  not  nd-she-o,  or  nah-she-o. 
See  Bullions's  Latin  Grammar,  §  17,  4. 

V  is  English  w,  or  French  ou  in  ouL 

X  is  ksy  never  gz. 

z  occurs  only  in  words  of  Greek  origin,  and  is  pro- 
nounced like  <.  Dr.  George  Curtius,  in  the  "  Eluci- 
dations of  his  Greek  Grammar"  (translated  by  Evelyn 
Abbott,  John  Murray,  London,  pp.  233,  12mo,  12), 
says,  "  Z,  therefore,  which  is  shown  by  prosody  to 
be  a  double  consonant,  must  certainly  be  pronounced 
as  dzy  that  is,  d  with  a  soft  s." 

Ps  preserves  the  sound  of  both  its  elements,  as  in 

psallo. 

139.  PH,  TH,  CH,  Roby  maintains,  are  not  pro- 
nounced as  in  either  English  or  in  German,  but  as 
p  +  h,t  +  h,c  +  h,  or  the  ordinary  p,  t,  c,  immedi- 
ately  followed  by  a  rough  breathing.  So  Curtius  as 
to  the  Greek  (see  Elucidations,  p.  7).  Those  who 
would  be  annoyed  by  so  much  that  is  foreign  to  the 
English  will  take  comfort  in  Hadley's  statement  (see 
«  Grammar,"  section  17).  **  The  letters  0,  0, x,  seem 
to  have  had  at  first  the  sounds  of  ph,  th,  ch,  in  Eng- 
lish xiphiW,  hothoxxse,  blockhead.  But  afterward  they 
came  to  sound  as  in  English  graphic,  pa^Aos,  and  Ger- 
man ma^en,  the  last  being  a  rough  palatal  sound,  no 
longer  heard  in  English."  Many  orthoepists  set  down 

ch  as  practically  k,  ^  ^  t^-  i.    ji 

140.  In  December,  1877,  Professor  W.  G.  Richaxd- 
Bon  published  what  he  is  pleased  to  call  "  The  Inter- 

national."  ^      n        - 

Vowels  :  a,  ah  ;  &,  diadem ;  e,  fate ;  S,  valley ;  t, 
machine  ;  i,  purity  ;  5,  note  ;  6,  omit,  nor  ;  ^.  ^^^^  > 
a,  full ;  y  =  French  u,  or  German  u  in  Muller. 


i 


80 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


WANT  OF  HARMONY. 


81 


Diphthongs :  ae,  ay  (yes),  nearly  I ;  au,  now ;  ei, 
vein  (drawled)  ;  eu,  feud ;  OE,  oil ;  wt,  we.  Conso- 
nants :  d,  f,  h,  k,  I,  M,  n,  p,  t,  z,  as  in  English  ;  so 
b,  but  bs  =  ps,  urbs,  oorps  ;  c,  ch,  k  ;  g,  give  ;  j,  hal- 
lelujah ;  ncy  nq,  anchor ;  ng,  anger ;  ps,  both  ele- 
ments heard,  psallo ;  QU,  queen  ;  r,  trilled ;  s,  this ; 
a,  pure,  nahte-o  ;  v,  w ;  a;,  ks  ;  ph,  f ;  th,  this.  (For 
details,  see  Report  on  Latin  Pronunciation.) 

141.  It  is  worth  while  to  notice  that  this  scheme, 
called  "  International,"  does  not  agree  with  that  of 
J.  G.  Richardson,  nor  that  of  Tafel,  nor  that  of  Roby, 
nor  yet  with  that  of  the  author  of  the  *'  Internation- 
al "  himself,  who  published  the  conspectus  just  given 
above  in  1876. 

As  a  general  conclusion,  it  is  perfectly  obvious 
that  what  is  called  the  Roman  system  is,  after  all, 
like  the  so-called  Continental,  only  a  general  name 
for  a  group  of  different  methods  of  pronouncing 
Latin  ;  the  difference  lies  in  this,  mainly — that  the 
Bo-called  Continental  system  points  to  actual  living 
schemes  of  pronunciation,  while  the  so-called  Ro- 
man system  points  only  to  various  ideal  and  fanciful 
schemes. 

WANT  OF  HARMONY  AMONG  THE  ADVOCATES  OF  THE 

REFORMED  MODE. 

146.  That  the  reformers  do  not  agree  among 
themselves  on  some  very  imi)ortant  points  is  univers- 
ally conceded,  and  is  a  matter  claiming  at  the  hands 
of  every  inquirer  the  most  serious  thought.  Profess- 
or Twining  (**  Western,"  July-August,  p.  417)  uses 
this  language  :  "  That  the  advocates  of  the  reformed 
pronunciation  differ  among  themselves  is  of  graver 


import,  since,  if  these  differences  are  on  vital  points, 
as  Professor  Fisher  claims,  they  not  only  discredit 
the  evidence,  but  render  impossible  that  uniformity 
of  practice  which  it  is  one  of  the  chief  objects  of  the 
reform  to  secure."  The  consequence  of  a  difference 
in  vital  points  is  well  put  by  Professor  Twining.  Let 
us  examine  some  of  these  differences. 

146.  1.  There  is  no  harmony  in  their  represen- 
tation of  the  vowel-sounds  in  general.  Just  here  it 
should  bo  carefully  borne  in  mind  that  the  reformers 
insist  that  their  system  is  phonetic.  Then  "each  ele- 
mentary sound  has  its  own  unvarying  sign,  and  each 
sign  its  own  unvarying  sound."  This  is,  according 
to  Professor  March,  the  essential  idea  of  a  phonetic 
alphabet ;  this,  then,  is  conceded  to  be  our  criterion 
of  judgment.  Haldeman,  quoting  with  approval  G. 
Walker,  says,  "Every  letter  retained  an  invariable 
sound."  Quoting  from  Scheller,  he  says,  "  The  sounds 
of  the  long  and  short  vowels,  though  elementarily  the 
same,  were  always  distinguished  in  length  "  (Halde- 
man's  "  Latin  Pronunciation,"  pp.  17, 19).  Allen  and 
Greenough  say,  "  By  the  Roman  (or  phonetic)  method, 
every  letter  has  always  the  same  sound *^  ("Gram- 
mar," p.  7).  These  are  explicit  statements  of  what  is 
held  by  the  new  "  Romans  "  throughout  the  world. 
The  vowels  did  differ  in  quantity,  they  did  not  differ 
in  quality. 

Haldeman  holds  that — 


&  =  a  in  arm. 
g  =  ey  in  they, 
i  =  i  in  marine. 
5  =  0  in  own. 
u  =  00  in  food. 


&  =  a  in  art. 
6  =  ei  in  eight, 
i  =  i  in  deceit. 
6  =  o  in  obey, 
u  =  u  in  fulL 


Jf.' 


82         THE  THREE  PRONTJNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


147.  Here,  in  this  ideal  scheme,  the  phonetic  the- 
ory is  substantially  carried  out. 

Compare  with  this  TafePs  scheme,  which  is  iden- 
tical, at  least  professedly  so,  with  that  of  Corssen  : 

&  =  same  sound  shorter. 
€  =  e  in  then, 
i  =  i  in  sit. 
5  =  0  in  nor. 
u  =  u  in  put. 


a  =  a  in  father, 
g  =  a  in  fate, 
i  =  i  in  machine. 
0  =  o  in  hole, 
u  =  u  in  rude. 


148.  A  glance  at  this  ideal  scheme  will  show  that 
it  is  not  consistent  with  the  theory  in  the  short  sounds 
of  e,  i,  0,  and  u.  E  in  then,  %  in  sity  o  in  nor,  and  u 
in  put  have  not  the  same  sound  as  a  in  fate,  i  in  ma- 
chine, 0  in  hole,  and  u  in  rude.  These  words,  as  the 
least  practiced  ear  can  detect,  differ  not  only  in  quan- 
tity, but  radically  in  quality.  A  glance,  too,  reyeala 
the  obvious  truth  that  Haldeman — and  J.  F.  Richard- 
son agrees  with  him — does  not  agree  with  Tafel  and 
Corssen,  in  representing  the  short  sounds  of  o,  i,  and 
«.  Who  does  not  see  that  ei  in  eight,  i  in  deceit,  and 
0  in  obey,  are  not  the  same  as  6  in  then,  i  in  sit,  and 
0  in  nor  f  If  scholars  on  the  side  of  the  new  pronun- 
ciation believe  in  the  phonetic  method  and  under- 
stand it  alike,  then  failure  to  represent  it  harmoni- 
ously, even  in  their  ideal  schemes,  is  simply  unpar- 
donable. Roby  tells  us  that  o  long  =  o  in  home,  and  o 
short  =  0  in  dot ;  Blair,  that  o  long  =  o  in  potent, 
and  0  short  =  o  in  potation,  Roby  tells  us  that  e  long 
=  e  in  met,  lengthened,  and  that  e  short  =  em  met; 
Blair,  that  long  e  =  a  in  gate,  and  short  e  =  a  in  aerial. 

149.  We  would  fix  emphatic  attention  on  two 
things  that  are  self-evident :  1.  That  these  distin- 


WANT  OF  HARMONY. 


83 


guished  scholars  do  not  agree  with  each  other ;  2. 
That  their  exhibition  of  their  favorite  pronunciation, 
as  shown  in  many  writers,  is  not  consistent  with  their 
oft-repeated  theory.  Any  one  who  has  any  doubts  as 
to  the  correctness  of  the  statements  here  made  is  ear- 
nestly requested  and  urged  to  examine  the  subject  for 
himself. 

150.  Before  leaving  this  general  want  of  harmony 
in  regard  to  vowel-sounds,  long  and  short,  it  is  worth 
while  to  notice  how  the  followers  of  the  so-called  Ro- 
man method  exhibit  to  us  the  long  sounds  of  the 
vowels. 

Blair  afl&rms  that  e  long  =  a  in  gate. 

Roby,  that  e  long  =  e  in  met,  lengthened. 

W.  G.  Richardson,  in  the  report  published  by  the 
Bureau  of  Education,  says  that  e  long  =  the  French 
e,  or  e  in  met,  still  more  prolonged  than  e  in  tres. 
He  speaks  of  fate  as  being  "  a  convenient  approxi- 
mate sound."  In  his  "International,"  published  in 
December,  1877,  he  gives  e  long  =  a  in  fate.  Now 
we  confess  our  utter  inability  to  understand  how  this 
able  scholar,  by  the  prolongation  of  the  sound  of  e  in 
met,  to  any  extent,  can  reach  as  a  result  a  in  fate. 
Any  one  can  test  the  matter  by  bringing  to  bear  the 
organs  of  speech  on  the  production  of  the  two  sounds. 
Before  the  speaker,  when  sounding  e  in  met,  can  pro- 
duce the  sound  of  a  in  fate,  he  must  stop  and  read- 
just the  organs.  The  trial  will  make  manifest  the 
truth  that  there  is  not  only  a  readjustment,  but  also 
a  tension  of  the  organs  decidedly  greater  in  sounding 
our  genuine  long  a,  which  almost  all  the  Romans 
make  the  representative  of  the  long  e,  in  their  system. 
It  is  difficult  to  escape  from  the  conclusion  that  Pro- 


i 


84         THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

fessor  Eichardson's  mind  underwent  a  change  between 
October,  1876,  and  December,  1877,  not  only  in  refer- 
ence to  the  long  e,  but  also  in  other  particulars,  as  we 
may  show  hereafter. 

166.  But  to  descend  more  to  particulars,  take  the 
diphthong  m, 

Roby  says  (B  =  am  bat  (lengthened),  or  bath. 
Blair  says  cb  =  ai  in  lair,  or  a  in  late. 
Harkness  says  m^ay  =  English  i. 
Gildersleeve  says  €B  =  (b  in  Grmme  =  a  in  fame. 

That  the  vowel-sounds  as  heard  in  bat,  late,  and 
aye  =  i  long,  are  not  the  same,  is  simply  beyond  all 
controyersy.  We  venture  the  assertion  that  no  schol- 
ar, unless  a  foreigner,  who  looks  at  the  case  calmly, 
will  risk  his  reputation  as  an  orthoepist  by  aflSrming 
that  these  words  do  contain  the  same  sound. 

166.  Professor  Twining  ("  Western,"  July-August, 
p.  418)  attempts  to  relieve  the  want  of  harmony  be- 
tween Gildersleeve  and  Blair  by  saying  :  '*  I  suspect 
that  Gildersleeve  means  the  same  thing  by  using 
Qrmme ;  certainly,  many  of  the  Scotch  pronounce 
this  word  as  Gr^'me."  He  refers  to  Blair's  use  of  the 
word  lair.  Do  Grceme  and  lair  contain  the  same 
sound  ?  This  might  have  been  very  easily  and  satis- 
factorily settled  by  a  reference  to  Gildersleeve's  Prim- 
er, page  6,  where  the  author  gives  ®  =  cp  in  Ormme 
=  a  in  fame. 

167.  But  why  undertake  to  prove  a  want  of  har- 
mony among  those  who  insist  on  reform,  when  the 
fact  is  not  only  virtually  but  really  confessed  by  some 
of  the  most  enlightened  defenders  of  the  new  system  ? 
For  instance,  the  writer  last  quoted  makes  this  admis- 


^l5 


WANT  OF  HARMONY. 


85 


eion :  "  Since,  phonetically,  e  lies  between  a  and  i,  this 
difl&culty  seems  to  me  to  belong  to  the  class  of  those 
to  be  settled  by  time,  much  in  the  same  way  as  the 
dispute  must  be  decided  between  English  and  Ameri- 
can *  half.^ "  Make  a  note  of  it  that  he  confesses  there 
is  a  difficulty  to  be  settled  by  time.  This  is  an  ingenu- 
ous and  truthful  confession,  and  one  that  ought  to  be 
made  by  every  Roman  Latinist  in  America.  There  is 
no  escaping  it.  Our  point  is  made  :  there  is  a  hope- 
less want  of  harmony  upon  the  above  issues  which  are 
vital  to  a  phonetic  system.  The  hope  of  a  future  har- 
mony might  be  allowed  were  we  dealing  with  an  ideal 
case,  but,  unfortunately  for  the  Romanists,  our  busi- 
ness in  this  discussion  is  with  the  past,  to  whose  crys- 
tallized forms  no  additions  of  importance  are  likely  to 
be  made,  and  from  whose  dead  organisms  the  vocaliza- 
tion of  living  utterance  has  forever  fled.  The  confu- 
sion of  those  ideal  schemes  leaves  us  in  a  state  of  be- 
wilderment from  which,  it  would  appear,  nothing  less 
ijlian  the  resurrection  of  a  Roman  more  perfectly  rep- 
resenting the  native  language  than  even  Cicero  or 
Varro,  if  the  Latin  was  settled  in  its  phonetics,  would 
be  able  to  release  us. 

168.  Again,  Professor  Blair,  on  page  56  of  his 
"  Latin  Pronunciation,"  takes  issue  with  Professor  J. 
F.  Richardson  as  to  the  sound  of  cb. 

Ho  says : 

"  In  the  face  of  these  statements,  and  in  spite  of 
all  the  evidence  of  a  changed  orthography,  Professor 
Richardson  (*  Roman  Orthoepy,'  New  York,  1859)  lays 
down  the  law,  *  cb  (=  ai)  sounds  like  ay,  the  English 
adverb  of  affirmation.'  Will  he  render  Virgil's  j^cbcb 
after  this  fashion  ?  {yid.  ^Eneid,  III,  386).     And  with 


I 


86         THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

his  qu  =  Jc,  will  he  read,  Infemike  lacus  Ayayayl(^ 
insula  Kirkay "  ?  The  line  referred  to  runs  thus : 
*'  Infernique  lacus  ^ceceque  insula  CirccB."  Rich- 
ardson wrote  in  1859  ;  Blair,  in  1873.  The  quotation 
given  carries  its  own  comment  as  to  how  far  they 
agreed  on  the  diphthong  m.  We  tender  thanks  to 
Professor  Blair  for  the  statement  which  he  has  put  in 
our  possession.  The  advocates  of  reformed  pronun- 
ciation, they  themselves  being  the  witnesses,  do  not 
agree.     But  enough  on  the  diphthong  cb. 

159.  When  reduced  to  practice  in  the  class-room, 
observe  how  these  differences  become  painfully  evi- 
dent.    For  illustration,  take  the  nominative  plural  of 

hora,  horcB: 

*  Horae  =  hoe-ray.  Blair,  Gildersleeve,  and  others. 
HorsB  =  hoe-rye,  Harkness,  Richardson,  and  others. 
B-OTdB  =  hoe-rah,      A  =  a  in.  half  =  a  in  father. 

Roby. 

Professor  W.  G.  Richardson,  in  criticising  the 
•'Three  Pronunciations  of  Latin,"  makes  this  signifi- 
cant admission  :  ''^  is  rather  bad,  but  by  no  means 
a  Cannse."  Coming  from  such  a  careful  and  accom- 
plished scholar  as  he  is,  this  means  something. 

160.f    Blair  gives  oe  =  o  in  world  or  i  in  whirl. 

X  Gildersleeve,  oe  =  ae  in  Graeme  =  a  in  fame. 

*  Harkness,  oe  =  oi  in  coin  =  oi  in  coil. 

I  Haldeman,  oe  =  vowel-sound  in  showy  ; 
and  says  :  "  If  showy  and  clayey  were  monosyllables. 


*  Who  can  tell  whether  the  old  Romans  (according  to  the  re- 
formed mode)  pronounced  the  pronoun  "  Aa«,  Aay,  highy  or  hUS  "f 
f  Blair's  Latin  Pronunciation,  p.  127.        %  Grammar.        *  Ibid. 
I  AflBxes  to  English  Words,  pp.  19,  20. 


WANT  OF  HARMONY  AMONG  THE  REFORMERS.     87 

they  would  contain  the  Latin  oe  and  Ei."    Among 
others,  he  quotes  these  two  lines  from  "  Living  Latin  " : 

"  To  these  we  add  that  English  words  like  showy 
Contain  the  Portuguese  and  Latin  oe." 

161.  Is  the  vowel-sound  in  world,  fame,  coil,  and 
showy  the  same  ?    Surely  not.    The  differences  thrust 
themselves  on  even  a  casual  observer.    But  what  do  the 
advocates  of  the  new  system  say  about  this  ?    Koby 
says,  comparing  the  Latin  and  Greek  oe  and  oi,  "  But 
the  Latin  sound  is  much  more  doubtful."*    Again, 
"  The  sound  of  oe  is  somewhat  perplexing."  f     He 
finally  concludes  that  the  stress  should  be  laid  on  the  o 
rather  than  on  the  e.  X    Peile  says,  "  The  nearest  sound 
we  have  is  perhaps  that  of  '  boy.' "    The  word  is  per- 
haps."^   Professor  Twining  is  still  more  to  the  purpose 
when  he  uses  this  language  :  "  I  do  not  wish  to  under- 
rate the  differences  in  these  two  cases  {ae  and  oe),  es- 
pecially as  I  have  within  a  few  years  changed  my  own 
practice  and  accepted  probably  archaic  but  distinctive 
sounds  as  having  better  claims  in  theory  than  the  past 
classical  corruptions,  and  as  being  preferable  in  prac- 
tice to  such  intermediate  sounds  as  English  organs  do 
not  easily  make. "  ||   Here  the  want  of  harmony  insisted 
on  is  confessed,  and  a  change  in  practice  is  frankly 
admitted.      How  does  Professor  W.  G.  Eichardson 
meet  the  difficulty  ?    Here  is  his  answer :  "  Oe  is  not 
worth  a  pinch  of  Napoleon's  snuff,  especially  since  our 
revised  orthography  has  expunged  it  from  those  oft- 
recurring  words  coelum,  poenitet,  coena,  etc."    Truly, 


*  Roby's  Grammar,  p.  Ixx.  \  Ibid. 

*  Peile's  Greek  and  Latin  Etymology,  p.  266. 
I  "  The  Western,"  July-August,  p.  418. 


I  Ibid. 


88         THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OP  LATIN. 


this  modem  Alexander  wields  a  Damascus  blade  in 
cutting  his  Gordian  knots  in  the  Latin  pronunciation. 
If  the  reformers  can  only  eliminate  oe  from  the  lan- 
guage, then  truly  this  one  difficulty  has  been  remoyed. 
Will  Mayor  and  Roby,  Haldeman  and  Blair,  and  others, 
meet  a  difficulty  in  this  way  ?    We  yenture  a  decisive 
negative.    But  Professor  Richardson  ('*  Courier- Jour- 
nal," April)  says,   "A  brand-new  typo  of  philology 
haa  been  let  loose  on  this  planet,  a  thing  of  life  and 
joy  forever."    Yes,  and  an  infinite  pity  it  has  been  let 
loose  at  all,  if  it  proposes  to  remove  difficulties  in  the 
way  indicated  above.    This  accomplished  linguist  does 
not  propose  to  settle  all  disputed  questions  in  this  man- 
ner.    It  may  be,  however,  that  this  is  a  philological 
pleasantry.    The  truth  of  history  entitles  us  to  expect 
of  antiquarians  that  the  monuments  of  the  past  shall 
not  be  mutilated  or  transmuted  so  as  to  respond  to 
modem  notions,  as  thereby  their  actual  value  as  teach- 
ing monuments  is  destroyed. 

162.  Schliemann  does  not  venture  to  change  the 
relics  he  finds  in  Hissarlik  or  MycenaB,  but  simply  re- 
ports them  as  they  are,  whether  he  understands  them 
or  not.  Were  these  diphthongs  transmitted  from  the 
ancient  Latin  as  unintelligible  as  the  whorls  Schlie- 
man  finds,  as  viewed  in  their  relation  to  ancient  Aryan 
customs,  still  historic  piety  must  dictate  their  literal 
preservation. 

163.  The  enigmas  of  the  past  are  not  to  be  trampled 
under  our  feet,  nor  mdely  pushed  aside,  aa  we  know 
not  what  revelations  may  ultimately  be  made  to  us 
through  the  very  perplexities  to  which  they  give  rise. 

164.  The  difference  in  regard  to  oe,  indicated  above, 
will  appear  in  pronouncing  the  word  coelum. 


WANT  OF  HARMONY  AMONG  THE  REFORMERS.     89 

Coelum  =  A;wy-?oow  (m  =  vowel-sound  in  whirl). 

Blair. 

Coelum  =  Jcay-loom  (a  =  a  in  fate).    Gildersleeve. 

Coelum  =  hoy-loom  {oy  =  oi  in  coil).     Tafel,  etc. 

Coelum  =  kowy-loom  (pwy  =  owy  in  showy).    Hal- 
deman. 

166.  Again,  notice  the  difference  of  opinion  and 
usage  in  regard  to  the  letter  v.*    The  question  among 
the  new  "  Romans"  is  whether  v  shall  be  pronounced 
like  w  or  like  the  labio-dental  v.     Unquestionably  the 
difference  is  a  wide  one,  and  rests  mainly  on  diverse 
phonetic  theories.     The  two  parties  among  the  Ro- 
manists, resting  on  diverse  theories,  have  from  the 
beginning  held  their  ground  so  tenaciously  as  to  ren- 
der agreement  simply  impossible.     Difference  in  the- 
ory, and  also  in  usage,  is  confessed  by  all  scholars 
throughout  the  world.     Hence  it  seems  wholly  un- 
necessary to  discuss  this  point  at  any  length.     Those 
wishing  to  examine  the  matter  may  refer  to  Roby's 
** Grammar,"  Peile's  "Greek  and  Latin  Etymology," 
and  Professor  Twining's  article  in  '*  The  Western," 
already  mentioned.      A  very  brief  examination  will 
verify  the  remark  of  A.  J.  Ellis,  in  his  work  on 
"  Early  English  Pronunciation":  "The  sound  of  v 
in  ancient  Latin  is  a  matter  of  dispute." 

166.  Gildersleeve  says  the  sound  was  nearer  our  w 
than  V  ;  and  still  more  like  ou  in  the  French  oui  (we). 
Blair  gives  as  a  result  of  his  investigations,  that 
V  =  English  v,  when  it  began  a  word  or  syllable  ;  but 
after  a,  g,  and  q,  and  followed  by  a  vowel,  it  had  the 
sound  of  w,  e.  g.  : 


•  See  sections  376  ;  110-112 ;  167. 


90 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIOXS  OF  LATIN. 


Validus  =  vdl'i-dus, 

Vulgus  =  vul-yus. 

Servus  =  ser-vus,    V  =  English  v. 

But  suayis  =  swa-vis. 

Lingua  =  lin-gwa. 

Quamquam  =  qwam-qwam. 

Koby  gives  v  invariably  the  sound  of  w.  He  uses 
these  words  by  way  of  illustration  : 

Crevi  =  kreh-wee  =  cray-wee, 

Jovis  =  YO'Wees, 

Civitates  =  kee-wee-tah-tacet 

Veni  =  weh-nee  =  way-nee, 

Vidi  =  wee-dee. 

Vice  =  wee-kay.  (See  Blair's  "  Pronunciation '' 
and  Koby's  "Grammar.") 

V  =  English  v.     TafeL 

V  =  w.     Bartholomew. 

V  =  English  v.    J.  F.  Richardson. 
v  =  w.     W.  G.  Richardson. 

Corssen  seems  inclined  to  the  belief  that  v  some- 
times sounds  like  our  v,  (Roby,  p.  42.)  As  might 
be  expected,  usage  m  the  American  schools  lays  no 
claim  to  uniformity. 

167.  But  pause  a  moment.  Some  of  the  Conti- 
nental nations  can  not  make  the  sound  of  w  at  all ; 
hence,  if  English  and  American  scholars  insist  on 
sounding  v  =  w,  then  the  idea  that  the  Reformed 
Pronunciation  is  to  become  universal  is  worse  than 
Utopian  ;  ay,  it  is  a  physical  impossibility  over  a  large 
part  of  Continental  Europe.  If  the  enthusiastic  re- 
formers are  right  and  have  found  and  resurrected  the 
real  Ancient  Pronunciation,  is  it  not  a  pity  that  whole 
nations,  some  of  them  the  most  learned  on  earth,  will 


WANT  OF  HARMONY  AMONG  THE  REFORMERS.     91 

never  be  able  to  use  it  ?  In  French,  Spanish,  Portu- 
guese, and  Italian,  v  =  vm  English.  These  languages 
look  back  to  a  common  ancestor,  the  stately  and  im- 
perial Latin,  but  they  can  never  fully  utilize  the  re- 
sults of  this  "new  philology  that  has  been  let  loose" 
in  the  last  twenty-five  years. 

168.  This  perilous  condition  of  affairs  is  relieved 
by  the  proposition  of  A.  J.  Ellis  {''  Academy,"  No.  19), 
who  advises  that  English  speakers  of  Latin  shoidd 
not  pronounce  v  like  w,  because  it  is  needless  to  adopt 
a  sound  which  Continental  nations  can  not  produce. 
Whatever  their  theories  may  be,  though  demonstrated, 
whatever  their  arguments  may  be,  even  if  unanswer- 
able, those  who  hold  that  v  =  w  must  abandon  their 
ground,  sacrifice  the  results  of  laborious  research,  and 
adapt  themselves  to  Nature's  order  of  things  on  the 
Continent.      Thus  only  can  uniformity  be  attained 
with  the  Romanic  nations.    Is  it  not  a  little  strange 
that  these  nations  have  lost  the  power  of  uttering  one 
of  the  sounds  used  by  a  common  progenitor  ?    Let  it 
be  remembered  here,  that  those  who  urge  that  v  =  w 
tell  us  that  they  are  producing  the  sounds  as  they  fell 
from  the  lips  of  Cicero,  Virgil,  and  Horace. 

169.  To  return  to  our  proposition.  At  present 
there  is  no  harmony.  If  harmony  is  ever  to  be  real- 
ized in  the  future,  one  party  in  this  controversy  over 
V  must  abandon  their  ground,  whether  right  or  wrong. 
As  the  case  now  stands,  some  phases  of  the  discussion 
are  not  far  removed  from  the  ludicrous.  Either  Eng- 
lish and  American  scholars  must  abandon  v  =  w,  or 
the  Continental  nations  must  learn  to  pronounce  w. 

170.  There  are  other  differences,  not  so  striking  it 
may  be,  but  such  as  demand  consideration  on  the  part 


I 


92 


THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


of  those  who  have  adopted  the  "  Eoman  reform,'*  and 
especially  on  the  part  of  those  whose  faith,  under  the 
eloquent  and  daring  intrepidity  of  the  reformers,  has 
been  at  all  shaken  as  to  the  comparatiye  fixedness  and 
superiority  of  the  English  system. 

M. 

171.  Lesuer  and  W.  G.  Eichardson  never  suppress 
m,  but  insist  on  pronouncing  it  softly.  Ellis  and 
Haldeman,  on  the  other  hand,  think  it  is  on  a  par 
with  the  French  nasals.  Professor  Eichardson  says, 
"  I  don't  wish  to  incorporate  any  more  foreign  ele- 
ments into  my  system  than  the  truth  demands," 

PH,   TH,   CH. 

172.  There  are  shades  of  difference  very  clearly 
marked  in  the  sound  of  these  letters,  but  it  is  not 
our  purpose  to  pursue  to  any  great  extent  these  minor 
points.  They  make  some  revelations,  however,  stand 
out  very  prominently.  One  of  these  revelations  is  that 
each  reformer  seems  to  feel  warranted  in  warping  the 
New  (so-called)  System  into  harmony  with  his  own  pe- 
culiar views  as  to  how  it  ought  to  be.  Ever  since  Pro- 
fessor Haldeman  wrote  his  "  Latin  Pronunciation  "  in 
1851,  down  to  Professor  Twining's  review  in  "The 
Western,"  in  1878,  every  Eoman  Latinist,  who  has 
written  at  any  length  on  the  subject,  has  felt  impelled 
to  make  known  his  "individnalisms,"  to  make  it  clear 
that  he  has  views  of  his  own  in  the  matter  of  how  the 
ancients  pronounced  Latin.  They  defer  to  no  com- 
mon standard.  Every  man  is  a  "law  unto  himself." 
Any  science  taught  in  American  institutions  to-day, 
that  was  marred  by  so  many  "individualisms,"  would 
lose  caste,  and  run  the  risk  of  being  put  at  once  in  the 


WANT  OF  HARMONY  AMONG  THE  REFORMERS.     93 

*'  Index  Expurgatorius. "  The  whole  case  reminds  one 
of  the  incisive  sentence  of  Dr.  Jex-Blake  :  "I  think 
reformed  Latin  pronunciation  is  a  mere  waste  of  time, 
and  if  done  on  a  fictitious  professor-made  plan,  ab- 
surd." How  far  this  remark  applies  to  America,  let 
every  scholar  determine  by  an  appeal  to  facts.  Some 
instructors  in  Latin  take  up  the  impression  that  be- 
cause the  so-called  "Eoman"  mode  is  new,  bold,  and 
aggressive,  numbering  among  its  followers  some  lin- 
guists of  very  great  ability,  it  must  necessarily  be 
founded  on  a  rock.  Not  so.  Indeed,  it  would  seem 
that  even  among  scholars  it  were  possible  to  have  a 
second  confusion  of  tongues  as  at  Babel.  The  mutual 
destruction  wrought  among  the  advocates  of  the  so- 
called  Eoman  mode,  by  their  differences  of  opinion, 
might  recall  the  story  of  Cadmus  and  the  dragon's 
teeth. 

173.  What  has  been  said  is  sufficient  to  show 
the  perplexing  diversity  in  both  theory  and  practice 
among  those  favoring  the  Eestored  Method.  Take  in 
addition,  however,  another  fact.  In  1873,  Professor 
Haldeman  read  before  the  American  Philological  As- 
sociation an  article  on  "  The  Pronunciation  of  Latin 
as  presented  in  Several  Eecent  Grammars."  Of  Eoby 
he  savs : 

"  His  adoption  of  o  aperto  interferes  with  the  law 
of  interchange  with  u  {oo),  and  turns  oe  into  'oy'  ot 
boy,  instead  of  *  oy,'  bs  in  Portuguese  oUo,  eight." 

Further,  "Bartholomew's  Grammar  is  very  near 
the  Eoman  standard,  but  cut  (coo-y)  is  compounded 
with  qui  (kwee),  oe  (oy)  is  made  oi  of  coil,  the  long 
and  short  e  and  i  have  different  powers  assigned  them, 
and  z  is  given  as  ds,  or  »<?." 


I 


94         THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

Of  Blair  he  remarks  :  "  The  diphthongs  ae  and  oe 
are  made  vowels,  eu  has  the  strange  perversion  of  ew 
in  pew,  and  ph,  etc.,  are  made  post-aspirates.  The 
compositions  with  French  and  German  sounds  are 
contradictory  and  unreliable." 

174.  All  the  scholars  referred  to  in  these  quota- 
tions adopt  the  Latin  method,  as  does  also  Professor 
Haldeman.  These  criticisms,  therefore,  reveal  the 
lack  of  uniformity  already  noticed. 

175.  Here  Professor  Haldeman  takes  to  task  every 
grammarian  or  writer  who  for  some  years  preceding 
1873  had  set  forth  in  detail  his  views  on  Roman  or- 
thoepy, and,  if  he  makes  any  point  at  all,  shows  that 
in  some  particular  every  one  of  them  was  wrong. 
Some  reformers  say  that  the  differences  noticed  above 
are  ''insignificant." 

176.  Professor  Haldeman,  the  learned  and  accom- 
plished pioneer  of  the  new  method  in  America,  would 
never  have  consumed  the  time  of  such  a  body  as  the 
American  Philological  Association  by  asking  atten- 
tion to  mere  shades  of  diversity  that  were  "  insignifi- 
cant." The  least  that  can  be  said  is  that  there  is  no 
phonetic  consistency  among  the  scholars  on  the  "  Ro- 
man "  side,  and  even  if  this  argument  could  be  estab- 
lished, no  living  man  can  show  that  their  theoretical 
phonetics  can  trace  their  pedigree  back  through  sev- 
enteen centuries,  until  the  sounds  now  called  **  Lat- 
in "  are  in  harmony  with  the  realities  of  the  ancient 
tongue. 

177.  This  brings  us  face  to  face  with  rather  a  sin- 
gular phenomenon  in  this  discussion,  and  yet  a  phe- 
nomenon that  has  escaped  many  teachers  not  only  on 
the  side  of  reform,  but  also  among  those  who  hold  to 


WANT  OF  HARMONY  AMONG  THE  REFORMERS.     95 

the  English  method.    In  "  The  Western  "  (page  417) 
is  found  this  statement :  "  It  may  be  observed,  also, 
by  way  of  general  limitations,  that  the  Roman  system, 
as  it  is  now  offered  for  acceptance,  is  not  to  be  charged 
with  all  the  diversities  which  appeared  when  the  views 
of  scholars  were  crude  and  tentative."    Surely  a  coup 
de  grace  that,  and  from  a  Romanist  too.     Hear  him 
further  :  "  Ten  years  ago  Professor  Thacher  might 
caU  attention  to  the  Tafel  scheme  of  pronunciation, 
as  compared  with  that  of  J.  F.  Richardson  ;  it  is  rath- 
er late  to  reproduce  the  comparison  to-day."  Look  at 
it.     Richardson  wrote  in  1859  ;  Taiel,  in  1860 ;  their 
schemes  played  havoc  with  one  another.     But,  says 
Professor  Twining,  the  system  "as  now  offered  for 
acceptance  "  is  not  to  be  charged  with  their  "  diver- 
sities," their  views  were  "  crude  "  and  "  tentative:' 
"Tempora  mutantur  et  in  illis  mutamur."    This, 
again,  is  a  confession  of  what  we  have  in  hand — a  no- 
torious want  of  harmony.   This  is  not  all  yet.   W.  G. 
Richardson,  one  of  the  best  informed  Roman  Latin- 
ists  in  the  world,  in  the  spring  of  1878,  in  a  letter 
now  in  hand,  uses  these  words  :  "  J.  F.  Richardson's 
little  book  was  the  last  ounce  that  broke  the  camera 
back."    He  is  speaking  of  his  change  from  the  Eng- 
lish to  the  "  Roman  "  method.     He  does  not  consider 
J.  F.  Richardson's  work  "crude"  and  "tentative." 
On  the  other  hand,  it  was  the  very  instrument  used 
in  his  phonetic  conversion  ;   "  it  broke  the  camel's 
back."    It  is  noteworthy  here  that  two  able  advocates 
of  the  same  mode  put  a  totally  different  estimate  on 
their  pioneer  writers.    According  to  one,  these  writers 
are  entitled  to  the  highest  consideration ;  the  other 
would  have  us  believe  that  their  diversities  are  not  to 


96         THE  THREE  PRONTJNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


be  charged  home  on  the  system  as  now  offered.  "  Sub 
judice  lis  est." 

178.  In  the  light  of  the  preceding  facts,  we  can 
see  how  much  credence  is  to  be  extended  to  an  asser- 
tion often  used  by  the  advocates  of  the  new  mode — 
viz.,  that  "the  Roman  mode  teaches  us  how  to  repro- 
duce Cicero's  sounds,  and  that  German  scholars  have 
proved  this."  And  this  assumption  comes,  too,  right 
in  the  face  of  conceded  and  obtrusive  diversities  ;  in 
the  face  of  the  admission  that  the  phonetic  method 
has  been  tentative  and  that  time  is  necessary  to  en- 
tire harmony ;  and  confronted  on  all  sides  by  the 
well-established  fact  that  all  that  the  ablest  reformers 
pretend  to  claim  is  that  they  are  going  on  to  perfec- 
tion. Some  in  their  ardor  evidently  undertake  quod 
ferre  recusent  humeru 

179.  The  reply  made  to  this  want  of  agreement  is 
ingenious  but  not  tenable.  The  resurrectionists  say 
it  is  like  the  skeptic's  answer  to  the  preacher,  "  You 
preachers  agree  among  yourselves,  and  then  talk  to 
us,  etc." 

180.  This  would  come  with  some  degree  of  force 
if  the  cases  were  parallel ;  but  they  are  not.  Evan- 
gelical ministers,  the  world  over,  agree  in  all  funda- 
mental points  ;  but  "  Koman  "  Latinists  do  not,  and 
for  proof  refer  to  the  incontrovertible  positions  al- 
ready laid  down.  Preachers,  too,  have  a  common  and 
inspired  standard ;  the  radical  reformers  have  no 
standard  ;  each  one  estimates  the  probabilities  for 
himself,  and  then  tinges  the  system  with  his  own 
personal  views.  These  revolutionists  must  trace  the 
phonetic  pedigree  of  every  letter  through  seventeen 
centuries,  when  none  know  better  than  the  able  schol- 


WANT  OF  HARMONY  AMONG  THE  REFORMERS.     97 

ars  on  that  side,  that  if  a  grammarian  seventeen  cent- 
uries ago  had  made  an  avowed  attempt  to  indicate  to 
us  in  writing  the  difference  between  th  in  this,  and 
th  in  thick,  he  would  have  undertaken  what  every 
orthoepist  feels  would  have  been  an  impossibility. 
Learning  by  imitation  is  one  thing  ;  by  description  is 
quite  another  thing.  There  is  a  wide  difference 
between  a  preacher  and  a  revolutionary  reformer  in 
Latin  pronunciation. 

181.  It  may  be  noticed  that  Tafel  gives  c  before 

e,  i,  and  y  =  ts. 

If  this  be  true,  then  c  did  not  always  have  the 
sound  of  k.  Again,  it  might  be  asked  why  did  the 
Romans  spell  pulcher  with  an  h,  if  pulcer  had  the 
same  sound  ?  Professor  Haldeman  replies,  "  The 
sounds  were  different,  but  the  learned  in  Greek  pre- 
ferd  the  Greek  form  which  the  peopl  coud  not  pro- 
nounce ." 

182.  In  the  light  of  what  has  just  been  shown,  and 
in  the  light  of  what  is  conceded  by  those  best  qualified 
to  judge,  we  repeat  the  question,  asked  in  section  40 : 
Do  we  know  the  true  ancient  pronunciation  of  Latin  ? 
In  view  of  the  differences  among  the  friends  of  the 
so-called  Latin  mode,  are  we  not  justified  unhesitat- 
ingly in  entering  a  negative  answer  ? 


OPINIONS  OF  ADVOCATES  OF  THE  ROMAN  METHOD.  99 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  OPINIONS  OF  THE  ADVOCATES  OF  THE  SO-CALLED 
ROMAN  METHOD  AS  TO  THEIR  HAVING  REACHED 
THE  TRUTH. 

183.  Let  us  turn  from  argument  and  hear  what 
the  best-informed  and  most  distinguished  devotees  of 
the  new  system  claim  for  it : 

"  The  above  scheme  is  not  claimed  to  be  the  exact 
Roman  orthoepy — the  nature  of  the  case  must  always 
preclude  such  absolute  knowledge."  (Professor  Tracy 
Peck,  Yale  College.) 

"  Its  supporters  do  not  claim  perfection  for  it." 
(Klapp,  in  the  Preface  to  his  **  Notes.") 

In  speaking  of  the  change  in  his  own  case  from  the 
English  to  the  phonetic,  Professor  W.  G.  Richardson 
says  :  "  I  naturally  cast  anchor  in  the  Roman  sea. 
Here  I  find  the  waters  blue,  the  corals  just  as  in  the 
Bay  of  Naples,  exceedingly  beautiful,  while  there  are 
here  and  there  some  sharp  ledges  of  rock.  'Nihil 
est  ab  omni  parte  beatum.' "  One  of  these  ledges  of 
rock  is  given  above  when  he  admits  ae  to  be  a  bad 
case. 

But  let  us  translate  his  Latin.  Nothing  is  blessed 
or  perfect  on  every  side — i.  e.,  there  is  no  state  or  con- 
dition of  life  without  its  disadvantages,  and  this,  too, 
even  in  the  Roman  sea  I 


\ 


"The  following  is  a  summary  statement  of  the 
probable  prununciation  of  educated  Romans  in  the 
period  from  Cicero  to  Quintilian,  say  70  A.  c.  to  90 
p.  c."    (Roby,  p.  Ixxvii.) 

184.  Professor  Twining  admits  that ''  the  views  of 
scholars  were  crude  and  tentative  "  ten  years  ago,  and 
that  there  are  some  things  that  can  be  settled  only  by 
time.     (*'  The  Western,"  pp.  417,  418.) 

185.  '*  The  existing  materials  on  Latin  pronuncia- 
tion are  sufficiently  explicit  to  teach  it  better  than 
French  can  be  taught  by  books  alone  without  the  aid 
of  oral  instruction."  (Haldeman's  "  Latin  Pronuncia- 
tion," p.  6.). 

186.  It  is  a  fact  known  universally  among  French 
scholars  that  a  man  who  learns  French  from  books 
alone  can  not  lay  claim  to  even  the  lowest  respecta- 
bility in  the  use  of  the  language.  Such  a  point  needs 
no  discussion.  Professor  Haldeman's  assertion,  ad- 
mitted in  its  widest  extent,  proves  nothing  at  all  to 
his  purpose.  If  the  followers  of  the  new  mode  ap- 
proximate the  ancient  Romans  no  nearer  than  an 
American,  with  books  alone,  can  approximate  the 
Parisian  French,  then  the  whole  attempt  at  reform 
ought  to  be  abandoned  as  an  unqualified  failure. 

187.  Mr.  Tetlow,  in  the  "New  England  Journal 
of  Education"  for  December  26th,  gives  an  admirable 
illustration  of  learning  a  language  from  books  alone. 
He  says  :  "  Permit  me,  in  this  connection,  to  quote  a 
passage  from  Hamerton's  *  Intellectual  Life.'  The 
author  is  speaking  of  a  Frenchman  who  had  studied 
English  from  books  alone.     He  says  : 

188.  "  *  Most  of  our  great  authors  were  known  to 
him,  even  down  to  the  close,  critical  comparison  of 


100       TOE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


different  readings.  Aided  by  the  most  powerful  mem- 
ory I  eyer  knew,  he  had  amassed  such  stores  that  the 
acquisitions,  even  of  cultivated  Englishmen,  would  in 
many  cases  have  appeared  inconsiderable  beside  them. 
But  he  could  not  write  or  speak  English  in  a  manner 
tolerable  to  an  Englishman  ;  and  although  he  knew 
nearly  all  the  words  in  the  language,  it  was  dictionary 
knowledge,  and  so  different  from  an  Englishman's 
apprehension  of  the  same  words  that  it  was  only  a 
sort  of  pseudo-English  that  he  knew,  and  not  our  liv- 
ing tongue.  His  appreciation  of  our  authors,  espe- 
cially of  our  poets,  differed  so  widely  from  English 
criticism  and  English  feeling,  that  it  was  evident  he 
did  not  understand  them  as  we  understand  them. 
Two  things  especially  proved  this  :  he  frequently 
mistook  declamatory  versification  of  the  most  medio- 
cre quality  for  poetry  of  an  elevated  order ;  while,  on 
the  other  hand,  his  ear  failed  to  perceive  the  music 
of  the  musical  poets,  as  Byron  and  Tennyson.  How 
could  he  hear  their  music,  he  to  whom  our  English 
sounds  were  all  unknown  ?  Here,  for  example,  is  the 
way  he  read  'Claribel.' 

189.  **I  take  the  liberty  of  reading  the  correct 
form,  line  by  line,  with  the  distorted,  lest  in  the  trav- 
esty you  fail  to  recognize  the  original : 

"  At  eve  the  beetle  boometh 
Athwart  the  thicket  lone : 
At  ev  ze  hittle  hommesa 
Azvart  ze  zeelcet  Ion : 

"  At  noon  the  wild  bee  hammeth 
About  the  mossed  head-stone : 
At  none  ze  veeld  lee  ommesi 
Ahoot  ze  moat  edaton ; 


OPINIONS  OF  ADVOCATES  OF  THE  ROMAN  METHOD.  101 

*»  At  midnight  the  moon  cometh 
And  looketh  down  alone. 
At  meedneeg  ze  mon  commeas 
An  lolcez  dovn  alon, 

"  Her  song  the  lint-white  swelleth, 
Ere  aongg  ze  lintveet  avelleas^ 

"  The  clear-voiced  mavis  dwelleth, 
Ze  clirvoiced  mavi  dvellesa, 

"  The  fledgling  throstle  lispeth, 
Ze  fledgling  aroat  liapeaa, 

**  The  slumbrous  wave  outwelleth, 
Ze  alonibrooa  vav  ootvelleaa, 

**  The  babbling  runnel  orispeth, 
Ze  laUlang  ronnel  creeapeaa^ 

"  The  hollow  grot  replieth, 
Ze  ollov  grot  repleeeas, 

"  Where  Claribel  low  lieth. 
Vere  Claribel  lov  lee-eaa^ 

190.  These  articles  of  Mr.  Tetlow  have  been  writ- 
ten  within  two  months  past ;  they  present  the  new 
system  in  its  most  plausible  phase,  and  furnish  us  in 
the  quotations  made,  an  answer  to  Professor  Halde- 
man's  plea  for  the  new  system,  that  leaves  nothing  to 
be  desired  in  addition.     A  Frenchman  can  not  learn 
English  from  books,  and  especially  its  phonetics  ;  an 
American  can  not  learn  French  from  books  ;  and  no 
man  living  can  learn  the  phonetics  of  the  ancient 
Latin  from  books.     If  not  from  books,  where  is  he  to 
go  ^    Let  some  New  ''  Koman  "  tell  us. 

191    Take  one  more  illustration.     Prof essor  W. 
G.  Richardson,  under  date  of  May  3d,  in  the  "  Co- 


102       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

lumbia  Statesman,"  says  :  "  Professor  Leonard  must 
anglicize  his  speech  to  corn-men t  yowss  por-tez  towss. 
...  I  have  a  literary  friend  who  actually  pronounces 
thus.  He  learned  *  French  without  a  master.'  For- 
tunately, he  is  yery  deaf,  and  knows  little  of  the  effect 
of  his  peculiar  phonetics."  The  reformers  are  thor- 
oughly sound  when  they  handle  any  other  language 
than  the  Latin.  The  two  illustrations  just  made  ex- 
hibit vividly  how  near  we  can  approach  the  phonetics 
of  a  language  from  books  alone. 

192.  ^*  As  the  best  native  speakers  of  Latin  differed 
among  themselves  in  theory  and  practice,  but  labored 
harmoniously  and  to  the  end  to  come  nearer  to  the 
ideal  pronunciation,  so  there  is  no  ground  for  dis- 
couragement or  for  detraction,  if  those  who  would 
restore  the  ancient  pronunciation  still  differ  in  many 
points,  and  perhaps  in  all  points  fall  below  the  true 
standard  "  (Professor  Tracy  Peck). 

193.  "The  sign  oe  is  representative  of  the  most 
unstable,  and  therefore  the  most  uncertain  of  all  the 
Latin  vowel-sounds."  (Professor  Blair,  section  104.) 
"  There  is  certainly  a  consolation  for  our  ignorance 
in  the  belief  that  the  Romans  themselves  did  not 
know  for  any  length  of  time  together  a  certain  sound 
for  this  diphthong  "  (Blair,  section  109). 

194.  **  I  doubt  whether  we  are  likely  to  come  any 
nearer  to  such  a  standard  than  what  would  make  our 
reading  of  Latin  a  barbarous  and  painful  travesty  to 
a  Roman  ear — something  like  the  average  grammar- 
school  French  to  a  Parisian  "  (J.  H.  Allen  ;  see  let- 
ter, section  353).  "  But  as  a  method  of  pronunciation 
for  practical  use,  I  do  not  believe  it  is  worth  one  tenth 
of  the  trouble,  irritation,  and  ridicule  it  has  cost,  even 


1! 


OPINIONS  OF  ADVOCATES  OF  THE  ROMAN  METHOD.  103 

if  the  end  could  be  attained,  and  if  that  end  were  de- 
sirable "  (Allen's  "  Query,"  section  352). 

195.  ''  Our  knowledge  is  far  too  meager  to  enable 
us  really  to  recover  the  old  pronunciation  as  it  existed 
(say)  in  the  time  of  Cicero  "  (Principal  of  Eton  Col- 
lege, Windsor,  England,  section  249). 

196.  Let  any  one  calmly  read  the  quotations  above 
given  from  Roman  Latinists,*  and  he  will  be  made  to 
feel  that  they  do  not  claim  to  stand  on  a  satisfactory 
or  firm  foundation  ;  that  not  one  of  them  holds  that 
the  system,  in  its  entirety,  rests  on  an  adequately  as- 
certained basis  ;  that  they  admit  virtually  and  really 
•that,  while  some  things  are  regarded  as  fixed,  others 
are  doubtful,  and  still  others  are  perplexing  and  des- 
titute of  proper  proof,  "  and  perhaps  in  all  points  fall 
below  the  true  standard."  These  admissions,  made 
either  directly  or  indirectly,  correspond  in  the  main 
to  the  positions  before  enunciated  in  this  discussion. 

THE  CLASS-ROOM. 

197.  The  reply  may  be  made  that  while  gram- 
marians differ,  the  universities  and  colleges  adopting 
the  **  Roman  "  are  nearly  uniform  in  class-room.  Un- 
fortunately, however,  the  want  of  harmony  in  a<jtual 
practice  is  even  more  glaring  than  on  the  printed 
page,  for  many  of  those  who  have  introduced  the  sys- 
tem seem  to  feel  at  liberty,  in  the  exercise  of  an  eclec- 
ticism peculiar  to  this  subject,  to  accept  a  part  of  the 
theory,  or  reject  a  part,  just  as  each  one's  own  judg- 
ment may  dictate.  In  the  University  of  Kentucky, 
as  we  learn  by  a  letter  dated  December  27,  1878,  ae 


*  Excepting  the  Principal  of  Eton  CoUege,  section  249. 


104       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

and  oe  are  sounded  like  a  in  fate;  while  at  Princeton, 
New  Jersey,  ae  is  pronounced  like  aye  =  English  long 
t,  and  oe  is  pronounced  as  oi  in  coil.  The  same  is  true 
of  V  and  other  letters  already  noticed.  What  Professor 
Mayor,  of  Oxford,  England,  says  of  his  country  in 
speaking  of  the  new  system,  is  emphatically  true  in 
America,  viz.,  "In  practice  there  is  great  diversity." 

198.  "  Grammatici  certant  at  adhuc  sub  judice 
lis  est." 

A  very  accurate  scholar,  after  much  experience  in 
the  class-rooms  of  the  university,  writes :  "  In  pre- 
paring a  new  edition  of  '  The  Three  Pronunciations,* 
perhaps  the  following  facts  relative  to  the  pronuncia- 
tion of  Latin  used  at  the  Johns  Hopkins  University 
will  be  of  interest : 

**  The  diphthong  eu  is  sounded  as  the  German  u, 
or  French  u, 

**  The  diphthong  ae  is  sounded  as  a  in  made.  For- 
merly this  was  sounded  as  i  in  fine. 

*'  The  letter  v*  is  given  the  same  sound  as  in  Eng- 
lish." 

199.  The  facts  above  given  bear  the  date  of  June 
12,  1884.  The  distinguished  scholars  in  that  seat  of 
learning  have  within  two  years  past  changed  the  pro- 
nunciation of  ae\  from  i  in  fine  to  a  in  made.  Most 
writers  insist  that  v  has  the  w-sound,  and  yet  at  Johns 
Hopkins  it  is  uniformly  sounded  as  in  English. 

The  following,  from  the  pen  of  the  distinguished 
President  of  the  University  of  Missouri,  is  pertinent : 
"  I  will  venture  to  express  the  opinion  that  professors 
are  not  at  liberty  to  teach  their  unrecognized  indi- 


*  Sections  165-1 67,  376. 


f  Sections  165-169. 


OPINIONS  OF  ADVOCATES  OF  THE  ROMAN  METHOD.  105 

vidualisms  as  part  of  a  system.     Those  youth  are  ex- 
ceedingly unfortunate  who  are  made  the  subjects  of 
class-room  experimentation,  in  the  interest  of  empiri- 
cal novelties.     Individual  opinions  are  not  properly 
taught  as  a  part  of  science  ;  for  when  they  become  a 
part  of  science  by  virtue  of  the  recognition  of  the 
great  body  of  specialists  or  experts,  then  they  cease  to 
be  individualisms.     The  classics  are  entitled  to  equal 
protection  against  empiricists.    Is  it  not  true  that  the 
indeterminate  and  tentative  element  is  in  the  so-called 
Roman  in  excess  of  every  other  method  ?     This  is 
fatal  to  a  preference  for  it." 

200.  In  an  able  address  by  Professor  McAnally,  of 
the  Department  of  English  Literature,  Missouri  Uni- 
versity, occur  the  following  passages  in  reference  to 
the  mutations  constantly  going  on  in  language.  His 
remarks  are  very  suggestive  as  to  the  German,  which 
is  claimed  to  be  a  phonetic  language  : 

"  The  truth  is,  that  nothing  is  slower,  more  in- 
sidious, or  more  unnoticed  in  its  action,  than  the 
change  that  is  constantly  going  on  in  language.    One 
generation  of  men  passes  away,  another  generation 
comes,  and  each  man  believes  with  all  the  earnest- 
ness of  conviction  that  he  speaks  the  language  of  his 
fathers,  when  in  truth  he  does  nothing  of  the  kind. 
He  does  not  even  speak  the  language  of  his  youth, 
much  less  that  of  his  father's  youth,  for  in  his  own 
mouth  and  without  his  knowledge  the  change  is  being 
effected.     The  pronunciation  of  words  is  being  con- 
stantly but  slowly  changed.    No  one  now  says  '  greet' 
for  great,  yet  less  than  a  hundred  years  ago  it  was  so 

pronounced.  i.       •  a- 

201.    *ailustrations  of  the  fact  that  hnguistic 


106       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

changes  of  a  more  general  character  have  taken  place 
in  the  past  are  furnished  by  several  historical  facts. 
The  most  curious  of  these  was  probably  the  '  Refugee 
French.'  After  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes, 
large  numbers  of  Huguenots  fled  from  France,  and, 
taking  refuge  in  the  cities  of  Holland  and  England, 
formed  colonies,  the  members  of  which  associated 
Bolely  with  each  other,  and  carried  on  by  means  of 
agents  the  purchase  of  material,  and  sale  of  the  prod- 
ucts they  manufactured.  They  thus,  in  many  cases, 
almost  isolated  themselves  from  their  surroundings, 
but  persisted  in  speaking  the  French  language. 

202.  "  This  state  of  things  continued  for  three  or 
four  generations,  when  it  was  discovered  that,  while 
the  French  language  at  home  had  undergone  material 
changes,  the  French  of  these  refugees  had  remained 
in  statu  quo,  with  the  exception  of  an  occasional  and 
accidental  foreign  word ;  in  other  words,  its  growth 
had  ceased,  while  the  growth  of  the  language  at  home 
had  continued,  and  when  some  of  these  refugee  peo- 
ple went  home  a  century  later,  their  pronunciation 
and  grammatical  constructions  were  as  antiquated  as 
would  be  for  us  the  English  of  Ben  Jonson. 

203.  "Another  fair  illustration  is  furnished  by 
the  history  of  a  party  of  Germans  from  a  minor  state 
in  the  empire,  who  settled  in  a  mountain-valley  of 
Pennsylvania  before  the  American  Revolution,  and 
during  the  French  revolutionary  wars  remained  iso- 
lated from  Europe.  So  remarkable  was  the  result  of 
this  isolation  that  many  years  ago,  when  Prince  Bern- 
hard,  of  Saxe- Weimar,  while  on  a  tour  through  this 
country,  visited  the  settlement,  he  found  German 
still  spoken,  but  a  similar  phenomenon  was  noticed 


OPINIONS  OF  ADVOCATES  OF  THE  ROMAN  METHOD.  107 

as  in  the  case  of  the  refugee  French.  The  German 
they  spoke  was  that  of  a  previous  age." 

Our  having  the  anatomy  of  a  language  does  not 
put  us  in  possession  of  its  physiology.  We  may  have 
the  sign,  but  not  know  what  it  signified. 

The  contents  of  this  and  the  preceding  chapter 
present  adequate  reasons  for  answering  in  the  nega- 
tive the  second  question  contained  in  section  40,  viz. : 
"  Shall  we  adopt  the  so-called  Roman  system  as  now 
offered  ?  " 

Professor  Haldeman  says,  "  The  want  of  harmoni 
is  greatli  du  to  the  absence  of  fonetic  knowledge,  and 
to  a  vernacular  influence  which  warps  the  judgment 
in  reading  the  ancient  grammarians."  (Ed.  "  Weekly," 
February  19, 1880.) 

This  may  be  very  true,  but  at  this  point  we  are 
mainly  concerned  with  established  facts. 


jr 


CHAPTER  VIL 


USAGE    IN    AMEEICA. 


215.  Eight  years  ago  the  Bureau  of  Education, 
at  Washington  City,  made  inquiries  to  ascertain  the 
usage  of  American  universities  and  colleges.  Two 
hundred  and  thirty -seyen  institutions  responded. 
The  results  of  the  correspondence  were  tabulated  by 
Professor  Richardson,  of  Central  University,  Ken- 
tucky.    The  work  was  completed  in  October,  1876  : 

216.    Universities  and  Colleges. 


I.  LATIN  OR  ROMAN. 


KAME. 


Howard  College  . 

8t.  John's  College  of  Arkansas 

University  of  California 

Columbian  University 

University  of  Georgia . 

Abingdon  College 

Illinois  Wesleyan  University 

Monmouth  College 

Northwestern  College 

Indiana  University 

Indiana  Asbury  University 

Northwestern  Christian  University 

Moore's  Hill  College   . 

Ridgeville  College 

Upper  Iowa  University 

Humboldt  College 

Cornell  College    . 


PLA.OX. 

Marion,  Ala. 
Little  Rock,  Ark. 
Oakland,  Cal. 
Washington,  D.  C. 
Athens,  Ga. 
Abingdon,  lU. 
Bloomington,  Hi. 
Monmouth,  HL 
Naperville,  111. 
Bloomington,  Ind. 
Greencastle,  Ind. 
Irvington,Ind. 
Moore's  Hill,  Ind. 
Ridgeville,  Ind. 
Fayette,  Iowa. 
Humboldt,  Iowa. 
Mount  Vernon,  Iowa. 


\ 


\ 


USAGE  IN  AMERICA. 


109 


KAMI.  PLAGE. 

Oskaloosa  College Oskaloosa,  Iowa. 

University  of  Kansas Lawrence,  Kan. 

Centre  College Danville,  Ky. 

Kentucky  Military  Institute        .        .        .  Farmdale,  Ky. 

Kentucky  University Lexington,  Ky. 

Kentucky  Wesleyan  University         .        .  Millers  burg,  Ky. 

Central  University Richmond,  Ky. 

Johns  Hopkins Baltimore,  Md. 

Bethel  College Russellville,  Ky. 

Louisiana  State  University         .        ,        .  Baton  Rouge,  La. 
Western  Maryland  College  ....  Westminster,  Md. 
BostonUniversity,  College  of  Liberal  Arts.  Boston,  Mass. 
University  of  Michigan        ....  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 

Kalamazoo  College Kalamazoo,  Mich. 

University  of  Mississippi    ....  Oxford,  Miss. 

Yale  College* New  Haven,  Conn. 

Central  College Fayette,  Mo. 

Rutgers  College Now  Brunswick,  N.  J. 

College  of  New  Jersey        ....  Princeton,  N.  J. 
Cornell  University      .....  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

Columbia  College New  York,  N.  Y. 

University  of  the  City  of  New  York  .  .  New  York,  N.  Y. 
University  of  Rochester  ....  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
Union  College     ......  Schenectady,  N.  Y. 

Trinity  College Trinity,  N.  C. 

Wake  Forest  College Wake  Forest,  N.  C. 

Ohio  University Athens,  Ohio. 

Baldwin  University Berea,  Ohioi 

University  of  Cincinnati     ....  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
Ohio  Wesleyan  University  ....  Delaware,  Ohio. 

Hiram  College Hiram,  Ohio. 

Willoughby  College Willoughby,  Ohio. 

Wilmington  College Wilmington,  Ohio 

Antioch  College Yellow  Springs,  Ohio. 

Corvallis  College Corvallis,  Oregon. 

Pacific  University  and  Tualatin  Academy  .  Forest  Grove,  Oregon. 
Pennsylvania  Military  Academy       .        .  Chester,  Pa. 

Haverford  College Haverford,  Pa. 

University  at  Lewisburg     ....  Lewisburg,  Pa. 
Mercersburg  College Mercersburg,  Pa. 

■-Ill  m  ■■■     M  III  ■  I    I        I  I  II  _ . ■_  ■  ■■  I 

*  3ee  ooDclttsion,  sectloD  897. 


110       TEE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

NAME.  PLACE. 

Westminster  College New  Wilmington,  Pa. 

Swarthmore  College Swarthmore,  Pa. 

Newberry  College Walhalla,  S.  C. 

Southwestern  Presbyterian  University       .  Clarksville,  Tenn. 

University  of  Deseret Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

Middlebury  College    .       .        .       .       .  Middlebury,  Vt. 

Randolph  Macon  College    ....  Ashland,  Va. 

Emory;,  and  Henry  College  ....  Emory,  Va. 

Hampden  Sidney  College   ....  Hampden  Sidney,  Vo. 

Washington  and  Lee  University        .        .  Lexington ,  Va. 

University  of  Virginia         .        .        .        .  University  of  Virginia,  Va. 

College  of  William  and  Mary     .       .       .  Williamsburg,  Va. 

Bethany  College Bethany,  West  Va. 

Galesville  University Galesville,  Wis. 

University  of  Wisconsin     ....  Madison,  Wis. 

Badne  College Eacine,  Wis, 

217.    n.    CONTINENTAL. 

Missionary  College  of  St.  Augustine  .       .  Bcnicia,  Cal. 

St.  Vincent's  College Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

St.  Mary's  College San  Francisco,  Cal. 

Santa  Clara  College Santa  Clara,  Cal. 

Colorado  College Colorado  Springs,  Col. 

Georgetown  College Georgetown,  D.  C. 

Howard  University Washington,  D.  C. 

Bowdon  College Bowdon,  Ga. 

St.  Ignatius  College Chicago,  111. 

University  of  Chicago         ....  Chicago,  111. 

Eureka  College Eureka,  HI. 

Wartburg  Seminary Mendota,  HI. 

St.  Joseph's  College Teutopolis,  UL 

Bedford  College Bedlbrd,  Ind. 

Concordia  College Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 

Union  Christian  College      ....  Merom,  Ind. 
University  of  Notre  Dame  du  Lao      .       .  Notre  Dame,  Ind. 

St.  Meinrad's  College St.  Meinrad,  Ind. 

St.  Bonaventure's  College  ....  Terre  Haute,  Ind. 

Norwegian  Luther  College         .        .       .  Decorah,  Iowa. 

Iowa  Wesleyan  University         .       .       .  Mount  Pleasant,  Iowa. 

Western  College Western  College,  Iowa. 

Eminence  College Eminence,  Ey. 


.' 
* 


I 


USAGE  IN  AMERICA. 


Ill 


WAMB.  PLACE. 

St.  Mary's  CoUego St.  Mary's,  Ky. 

St.  Charles  College Grand  Coteau,  La. 

Jefferson  College  (St  Mary's)    .       .       .St.  James,  La. 

Bates  College Lewiston,  Me. 

Albion  College Albion,  Mich. 

Hope  College Holland  City,  Mich. 

Shaw  University Holly  Spring,  Miss. 

Christian  University Canton,  Mo. 

St.  Vincent's  College Cape  Girardeau,  Mo. 

Lincoln  College Greenwood,  Mo. 

Christian  Brothers'  College        .       .       .St  Louis,  Mo. 

St.  Louis  University St.  Louis,  Mo. 

University  of  Nebraska      .        .       .        .  Lincoln,  Neb. 
St.  Bonaventure's  College  ....  Alleghany,  N.  Y. 

Wells  College Aurora,  N.  Y. 

St  Joseph's  College Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Hobart  College Geneva,  N.  Y. 

Vassar  College    .       .  '    .       .       .       •  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

Rutherford  College Happy  Home,  N.  C. 

North  Carolina  College       ....  Mount  Pleasant,  N.  C. 

Mount  St.  Mary's  Seminary  of  the  West  .  Cindrmati,  Ohio. 

Ohio  Central  College Iberia,  Ohio. 

Mt.  Union  College Mount  Union,  Ohio. 

Franklin  College New  Athens,  Ohio. 

New  Market  College New  Market,  Ohio. 

Richmond  College Richmond,  Ohio. 

Heidelberg  College Tiffin,  Ohio. 

Urbana  University Urbana,  Ohio. 

Geneva  CoUege West  Geneva,  Ohio. 

University  of  Wooster        ....  Wooeter,  Ohio. 

Xenia  College Xenia,  Ohio. 

Willamette  University        ....  Salem,  Ore. 

Lincoln  University Chester  County,  Pa. 

Franklin  and  Marshall  College  .       .       .  Lancaster,  Pa. 

St  Vincent's  CoUege Near  Latrobe,  Pa. 

Allegheny  College Meadville,  Pa. 

Furman  University Greenville,  S.  C. 

East  Tennessee  Wesleyan  University        .  Athens,  Term. 

Beech  Grove  College Beech  Grove,  Tenn. 

Christian  Brothers'  College         .        .        .  Memphis,  Tenn. 

Mosheim  Male  and  Female  Institute  .        .  Mosheim,  Tenn. 

Central  Texmeasee  College  ....  Nashville,  Tenn. 


112       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


USAGE  IN  AMERICA, 


113 


NAME. 

Texas  Military  Institute 
University  of  St.  Mary 
Austin  College     . 
Marvin  College    . 
Roanoke  College 
West  Virginia  College 
West  Virginia  University 
St.  John's  College 
Northwestern  University 


PLACS. 

.  Austin,  Tex. 
.  Galveston,  Tex. 
.  Huntsville,  Tex. 
.  Waxahachie,  Tex. 
.  Salem,  Va. 
.  Flemington,  W.  Va. 
.  Morgantown,  W.  Va. 
.  Prairie  du  Chicu,  Wis, 
.  Watertown,  Wis. 


iU 


218.    III.    ENGLISH. 

Cane  Hill  College Boonsboro',  Ark. 

University  of  the  Pacific     ....  Santa  Clara,  Cal. 
Pacific  Methodist  College   ....  Santa  Rosa,  Cal. 

California  College Vacaville,  Cal. 

Trinity  College Hartford,  Conn. 

Wesleyan  University Middletown,  Conn. 

Delaware  College Newark,  Del. 

Atlanta  University Atlanta,  Ga. 

Blackburn  University Carlinville,  III. 

Carthage  College Carthage,  111. 

Northwestern  University    ....  Evanston,  111. 

Knox  College Galesburg,  111. 

Lombard  University Galesburg,  111. 

Hanover  College         .....  Hanover,  Ind. 

Illinois  College Jacksonville,  111. 

Lincoln  University Lincoln,  HI. 

Shurtleff  College Upper  Alton,  HI. 

Westfield  College Wcstfield,  111. 

Wheaton  College Wheaton,  HI. 

Wabash  College Crawfordsville,  Ind. 

Fort  Wayne  College Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 

Franklin  College Franklin,  Ind. 

Hartsville  University Hartsvill^,  Ind. 

Smithson  College Logansport,  Ind. 

Earlham  College Richmond,  Ind. 

University  of  Des  Moines  .       .       .       .  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

Iowa  College Grinnell,  Iowa. 

Simpson  Centenary  College  .  .  .  Indianola,  Iowa. 
Iowa  State  University  ....  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 
Penn  College Oskaloosa,  Iowa. 


KAinC.  PLACE. 

Central  University  of  Iowa.       .       .       .  Pella,  Iowa. 

Tabor  College Tabor,  Iowa. 

Lane  University Lecompton,  Kan. 

Georgetown  College Georgetown,  Ky. 

Concord  College New  Liberty,  Ky. 

Leland  University       .        .      ' .        .        .  New  Orleans,  La. 
New  Orleans  University     ....  New  Orleans,  La. 

Straight  University New  Orleans,  La. 

Bowdoin  College Brunswick,  Me. 

Colby  University Waterville,  Me. 

Washington  College Chestertown,  Md. 

Amherst  College         .        .        .      •        .  Amherst,  Mass. 

Tufts  College College  Hill,  Mass. 

Williams  College Williamstown,  Mass. 

Adrian  College Adrian,  Mich. 

OUvet  College Olivet,  Mich. 

University  of  Minnesota     ....  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

Carleton  College Northfield,  Minn. 

Westminster  College Fulton,  Mo. 

Hannibal  College Hannibal,  Mo. 

Thayer  College Kidder,  Mo. 

Washington  University      .       .       .       .St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Drury  College Springfield,  Mo. 

Doane  College Crete,  Neb. 

Dartmouth  College Hanover,  N.  H. 

St.  Stephen's  College Annandale,  N.  Y. 

Brooklyn  Collegiate  and  Polytechic  Inst.  .  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

St.  Lawrence  University     ....  Canton,  N.  Y. 

Elmira  Female  College        .  ■     .        .        •  Elmira,  N.  Y. 

Madison  University HamUton,  N.  Y. 

Ingham  University LeRoy,  N.  Y. 

Syracuse  University Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

Kenyon  College Gambler,  Ohio. 

Denison  University Granville,  Ohio. 

Western  Reserve  College    ....  Hudson,  Ohio. 

Marietta  College Marietta,  Ohio. 

Oberlin  College Oberlin,  Ohio. 

Otterbein  University Westerville,  Ohio. 

Philomath  College Philomath,  Ore. 

Muhlenburg  College Allentown,  Pa. 

Lebanon  Valley  College     ....  Annville,  Pa. 

Lafayette  College Easton,  Pa. 


t 


114   THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

THAilS.  PLACE. 

Pennsylvania  College Gettysburg,  Pa. 

Western  University  of  Pennsylvania .        .  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

College  of  Charleston Charleston,  S.  C. 

University  of  South  Carolina     .        .        .  Columbia,  S.  C. 

Wofford  College Spartanburg,  S.  C. 

East  Tennessee  University         .       .  *     .  Knoxville,  Tenn. 
Cumberland  University      ....  Lebanon,  Tenn. 

MaryvUle  College Maryville,  Tenn. 

University  of  the  South      .       .       .       .  Sewanee,  Tenn. 
Southwestern  University    ....  Georgetown,  Tex. 
Henderson  Male  and  Female  College         .  Henderson,  Tex. 

Baylor  University Independence,  Tex. 

Waco  University Waco,  Tex. 

University  of  Vermont  and  State  Agricult- 
ural College Burlington,  Vt. 

Norwich  University Northfleld,  Vt. 

Lawrence  University Appleton,  Wis. 

Beloit  College      .       .        .       .       •        •  Beloit,  Wis. 

MUton  College Milton,  Wis. 

Bipon  College Ripen,  Wis. 

Dniveisity  of  Missouri       ....  Columbia,  Mo. 

219.   Preparatory  Schools, 

I.   LATIN  OR  ROMAN. 

Oakland  High  School Oakland,  Cal. 

Franciscan  College Santa  Barbara,  CaL 

Friends*  Elementary  and  High  School       .  Baltimore,  Md. 

ChauDcy  Hall  School Boston,  Ma«»8. 

Private  Classical  School  (J.  P.  Hopkinson)  Boston,  Mass. 

Public  Latin  School Boston,  Mass. 

Day  and  Family  School  for  young  men 

(Joshua  Kendall)         ....  Cambridge,  Mass. 

High  School Cambridge,  Mass. 

High  School Concord,  Mass. 

Williston  Seminary East  Hampton,  Mass. 

Mr.  Knapp's  Home  School  for  Boys  .       .  Plymouth,  Mass. 

St.  Paul's  School        .        .       .       •       •  Concord,  N.  H. 

Stevens  High  School Hoboken,  N.  J. 

Claverack  Academy  and  Hudson  River  In- 
stitute    Claverack,  N.  Y. 

Colgate  Academy Hamilton,  N.  Y. 


USAGE  IN  AMERICA. 


115 


I 


I 


KAIOS.  PLACE. 

Cook  Academy Havana,  N.  Y. 

Ithaca  High  School Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Kinne's  School Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

Kingston  Academy Kingston,  N.  Y. 

Park  Institute Kye,  N.  Y. 

Union  Classical  Institute    ....  Schenectady,  N.  Y. 

De  Veaux  College Suspension  Bridge,  N.  Y. 

Rev.  M.  R.  Hooper»s  Academy  for  Boys    .  Yonkers.  N.  Y. 

The  Brooks  School Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Milwaukee  Academy MUwaukee,  Wis. 

220.    n.  CONTINENTAL. 

Oak  Mound  School  for  Boys      .       .       .  Napa,  Cal. 

California  MiUtary  Academy      .       .       .  Oakland,  Cal. 

Jarvis  Hall Golden,  Col. 

Hopkins  Grammar  School  ....  New  Haven,  Conn. 

Norwich  Free  Academy      ....  Norwich,  Conn. 

Allen's  Academy Chicago,  IlL 

Preparatory  Department  of  Griswold  Col- 
let        Davenport,  Iowa. 

English   and   Classical   School    for    Boys 

(William  N.  Eayrs,  A.  B.)  .       .        •  Boston,  Mass. 

Greylock  Institute South  Williamstown, Mass. 

West  Newton  English  and  Classical  School  West  Newton,  Mass. 

Austin  Academy Center  Strafford,  N.  H. 

Princeton  College  Preparatory  School       .  Princeton,  N.  J. 

Chariier  Institute New  York,  N.  Y. 

Columbia  Grammar  School        .       .       .  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Dabnoy  University  School ....  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Preparatory  Scientific  School  (Alfred  Colin, 

^  E  ) New  York,  N.  Y. 

University  Grammar  School       .       .       .  New  York,  N.  Y. 

St.  John's  School Sing  Smg,  N.  Y. 

Chickering  Institute Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Milnor   HaU  (Kenyon   College   Grammar 

School) Gambler,  Ohio. 

Germantown  Preparatory  School       .       .  Germantown,  Pa. 
Cumberiand  Valley  Institute      .       .        .  Mechanicsburg,  Pa. 
Fewsmith's    Classical    and    Mathematical 

School Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Collegiate  Institute York,  Pa. 


I 


116       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


USAGE  IN  AMERICA. 


117 


KAME. 

Kenmore  University  High  School 
Bellevue  High  School 
Norwood  High  School 
Hanover  Academy 


PLACX. 

Amherst  C.  H.,  Va. 
Bellevue,  Va. 
Norwood,  Va. 
Taylorsville,  Va. 


221.    in.  ENGLISH. 

Talladega  College Talladega,  Ala. 

Hartford  Public  High  School      .        .        .  Hartford,  Conn. 

Connecticut  Literary  Institution        .       .  Suffield,  Conn. 

Woodstock  Academy Woodstock,  Conn. 

South  Georgia  Male  Institute     .        .        .  Dawson,  Ga. 

Burlington  Collegiate  Institute  .        .        .  Burlington,  Iowa. 

Edward  Little  High  School         .        .        .  Auburn,  Me. 

Nichols  Latin  School Lewiston,  Me. 

Maine  Central  Institute      ....  Pittsfleld,  Me. 

Franklin  Family  School     ....  Topsham,  Me. 

Waterville  Ckssical  Institute     .       .       .  Waterville,  Me. 

Lebanon  Academy West  Lebanon,  Me. 

Rockville  Academy Rockville,  Md. 

Phillips  Academy Andover,  Mass. 

Private  Classical  School  (G.  W.  C.  Noble, 

A.  M.) Boston,  Mass. 

Monson  Academy Monson,  Mass. 

Worcester  Academy Worcester,  Mass. 

Phillips  Exeter  Academy   ....  Exeter,  N.  H. 

Kimball  Union  Academy    ....  Meriden,  N.  H. 

New  London  Literary  and  Scientific  Insti- 
tution     New  London,  N.  II. 

Peddie  Institute Hightstown,  N.  J. 

Cazenovia  Seminary Cazenovia,  N.  Y. 

Fort  Edward  Collegiate  Institute        .        .  Fort  Edward,  N.  Y. 

Chambersburg  Academy     ....  Chambers  burg.  Pa. 

Easton  Classical  and  Mathematical  School  Easton,  Pa. 

Wyoming  Seminary Kingston,  Pa. 

Select  High  School  (George  Eastbum,  A.M.  )Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Rogers  High  School Newport,  R.  I. 

Lapham  Institute North  Scituate,  R.  L 

English  and  Classical  School  (William  A. 
Mowry,  A.  M.,  and  Charles  B.  Goflf, 
A.M.) Providence,  R.  I. 

University  Grammar  School       .       .       .  Providence,  R.  I. 


CUflin  University Orangeburg  C.  H.,  S.  C. 

Burr  and  Burton  Seminary         .        .        .  Manchester,  Vt. 
Wayland  University Beaver  Dam,  Wis. 

222.    SUMMARY. 

Preparatory 
Colleges.       Schools. 

KEW  ENOLAITD  8TATKB. 

English 10  21 

Contmental I  • 

Latin  or  Roman 2  9 

ICIDDLE   STATES. 

English •       1«  ^ 

Continental *  "■ 

Latin  or  Roman I*  ^^ 

BOUTHEBIf  STATES. 

English !•  * 

Continental *•  * 

Latin  or  Roman 24  1 

WESTERN  STATES. 

English **  2 

Continental 8^  *> 

Latin  or  Roman 29  2 

PACIFIC   STATES. 

English 4 

Continental ^  * 

Latin  or  Roman 4  8 

223.  The  word  "  Latin "  is  used  of  course  in  the 
sense  of  the  word  ^*  Roman."  Of  the  two  hundred 
and  thirty-seven,  ninety  used  the  English,  seventy- 
five  the  Continental,  and  seventy-two  the  "  Roman" ; 
i.  e.,  thirty-seven  per  cent  use  the  English,  thirty-two 
per  cent  the  Continental,  and  thirty-one  per  cent  the 
**  Roman."  Of  the  preparatory  schools  reporting, 
eighty-seven  in  number,  thirty-four  use  the  English, 
twenty-eight  the  Continental,  twenty-five  the  "  Ro- 
man." 


118       TEE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

224.*  (Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Education,  pp. 
481-497.) 

Professor  Richardson  has  executed  his  task  in  a 
most  scholarly  manner.  His  work  was  attended  with 
difficulties  which  none  but  an  orthoepist  can  appre- 
ciate. Obtaining  exact  information  as  to  the  pronun- 
ciation in  use  in  the  many  institutions  in  America  is 
a  matter  attended  with  no  small  difficulty.  A  large 
number  pay  very  little  attention  to  orthoepy  ;  others 
take  an  eclectic  course  and  can  scarcely  be  classed  at 
all  (and  this,  too,  when  the  instructor  is  not  aware  of 
the  fact) ;  still  others  avowedly  adopt  part  of  one 
mode  and  part  of  another.  The  Continental  has  sev- 
eral varieties,  even  in  our  own  land ;  the  mode  that 
may  be  properly  termed  the  "American  Continental " 
is  found  in  Chapter  I.  The  so-called  Latin  or  Ro- 
man is  much  modified  by  the  opinion  of  the  professor 
in  charge  of  the  class.  Some  institutions  of  great 
prominence  permit  the  students  to  use  any  method 
they  may  choose. 

Carelessness  in  such  matters  is  almost  unpardon- 
able, especially  in  view  of  the  fact  that  information  is 
easily  accessible,  and  even  more  especially  because 
scholars  recognize  but  three  scholarly  systems.  Why 
not  use  either  the  English,  or  the  Continental,  or  the 
Phonetic  mode,  following  some  good  grammar  or  other 
competent  authority  ? 

Few  changes  have  been  made  within  the  last  five 
years,  and  these  have  been  to  the  English  or  the  Latin. 
For  instance,  Hanover  College  has  adopted  the  Eng- 

*  A  letter  from  General  Eaton,  written  recently  (July,  1884), 
Btates  that  the  Bureau  of  Education  has  no  information  later  than 
what  is  here  ^vcn. 


USAGE  IN  AMERICA, 


119 


1 


lish  by  action  of  the  trustees,  and  Professor  Peck  has 
introduced  the  Roman  at  Yale.  Any  important  vari- 
ations from  the  tables  given  above  may  be  found  in  an 
appendix. 

226.  It  is  but  just  to  say  that  the  report  made  by 
the  Bureau  of  Education  is  only  approximately  true. 
The  compiler  seems  to  have  anticipated  this  when  he 
says,  "  As  all  Latinists  are  not  necessarily  orthoepists, 
and  as  the  terms  used  are  not  always  well  defined,  I 
fear  I  have  made  some  errors  in  classification."  For 
instance,  Professor  Johnson,  of  the  University  of  the 
City  of  New  York,  under  date  of  January  22,  1879, 
says,  "  You  will  rightly  infer  from  the  above  that  I 
do  not  regard  the  university  as  fairly  belonging  to 
the  class  of  colleges  in  which  the  Roman  method  is 
adopted."  In  the  same  letter  Professor  Johnson  states 
that  he  gives  Professor  Lane's  rules  for  the  pronuncia- 
tion of  Latin  to  the  Senior  Class  while  reading  Lucre- 
tius, and  that  *Hhe  whole  matter  is  one  of  curios- 
ity rather."  Some  institutions,  since  the  report  was 
made,  have  either  returned  to  the  English  method,  or 
adopted  it  for  the  first  time.  The  Missouri  University 
has  adopted  the  English  within  the  past  two  years. 
The  prediction  is  made  that  other  changes  will  take 
place  in  some  of  the  schools  which  now  employ  the 
new  method,  which  has  made  many  conquests  in  the 
last  ten  years,  chiefly  because  of  the  following  rea- 
sons :  1.  Its  name,  the  Latin  or  Roman  method;  2. 
Its  high  pretensions  as  producing  Latin  sounds  as 
they  came  from  the  lips  of  Cicero  ;  3.  The  aggressive- 
ness of  its  advocates,  coupled  often  with  their  celeb- 
rity as  scholars ;  4.  The  impression  sought  to  be  made 
by  its  friends,  that  its  use  was  a  kind  of  synonym  for 


120       THE  THREE  PRONTJNCUTIOXS  OF  LATIN. 

progress  and  **  advanced  scholarship "  ;  5.  The  con- 
tinuous repetition  of  the  assertion  that  the  new  pro- 
nunciation has  been  adopted  in  the  universities  and 
great  schools  of  England  and  Germany — an  assertion 
utterly  without  foundation,  as  will  be  seen  by  a  refer- 
ence to  the  chapter  on  usage  in  England,  an  assertion, 
too,  that  no  Roman  Latinist  in  America  can  risk  his 
reputation  in  making  again ;  6.  The  fact  that  Eng- 
lish Latinists,  feeling  generally  secure  in  their  posi- 
tion, have  not  taken  the  pains  to  examine  and  publish 
the  truth  that  the  new  system  is  largely  theoretical, 
that  the  defenders  do  not  harmonize  m  theory  and  in 
practice,  and  that  the  attempt  to  introduce  it  into 
some  of  the  schools  of  England  has  proved  a  signal 
failure.    As  to  Germany,  the  defenders  of  the  inno- 
vation are  challenged  to  name  a  single  university  or 
gymnasium  where  the  system  is  adopted  in  its  entire- 
ty.   Everywhere  in  Germany  where  Corssen's  method 
has  been  introduced,  it  has  taken,  like  the  chameleon, 
its  coloring  from  its  surroundings.     It  is  hoped  that 
for  the  sake  of  the  profound  scholarship  on  the  **  Ro- 
man" side,  some  celebrated  school  may  be  named 
somewhere  within  the  pale  of  Christendom  which 
does  adopt  in  practice  the  whole  theoretical  system 
called  the  "Latin."    The  conviction  is  daily  becom- 
ing more  deeply  fixed  that  the  progress  of  the  new 
mode  will  be  checked  in  America  just  as  rapidly  as 
the  crucial  test  shall  be  applied  to  its  real  merits,  just 
as  rapidly  as  its  revolutionary  and  ruinous  effects 
upon  our  mother-tongue  can  be  appreciated  by  Ameri- 
can scholars  and  teachers.     This  is  established,  too, 
by  the  very  large  number  of   letters  received  from 
friends  of  the  old  and  settled  English  pronunciation 


USAGE  IN  AMERICA. 


121 


since  the  publication  of  the  pamphlet  on  the  "  Three 
Pronunciations  of  Latin  "  six  years  ago.  The  so-called 
Roman  system  is  not  now  making  many  conquests, 
and  the  assertion  that  its  use  means  "  progress  and 
advanced  scholarship  "  has  lost  its  power. 

227.  A  letter  from  Professor  Thacher,  of  the  Latin 
Department  of  Yale  College,  dated  December  28, 1877, 
says : 

"  I  am  more  convinced  than  ever,  if  possible,  that 
the  attempt  to  introduce  the  so-called  Roman  method 
of  Latin  pronunciation  will  prove  a  failure." 

Professor  Thacher  made  a  thorough  investigation 
of  the  new  system  as  early  as  1861.  His  opinion  re- 
mains unchanged. 

228.  The  oldest  academy  of  its  kind  in  America  is 
Phillips  Academy,  at  Andover,  Massachusetts.  This 
venerable  and  justly  celebrated  school  held  its  centen- 
nial celebration  in  June,  1878,  when  fifteen  hundred 
of  its  sons  returned  to  its  sacred  halls  to  renew  the 
hallowed  associations  of  one  hundred  years.  Such 
an  assembly  of  distinguished  men  have  rarely  come 
together  in  the  history  of  any  school  in  the  world. 
That  academy  has  prepared  more  young  men  for  col- 
lege than  any  other  in  our  country,  and  for  an  en- 
tire century  has  taught  the  English  pronunciation  of 
Latin.  The  same  system  is  used  there  to-day.  What 
academy  in  New  England,  or  out  of  it,  can  point  to 
such  a  roll  of  illustrious  names  ?  C.  F.  P.  Bancroft, 
Ph.  D.,  the  present  principal,  a  most  able  scholar 
and  teacher,  still  clings  to  a  pronunciation  that  has 
yielded  such  magnificent  results  in  profound  scholar- 
ship for  generations  past.  His  letter  is  of  interest  to 
teachers. 


n 


122       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUnONS  OF  LATIN. 


229. 


Phillips  Academy,  Andover,  MASSAcnrsErrs, ) 


January  27,  1879. 

Professor  M,  M,  Fisher, 

My  dear  Sir  :  We  have  not  found  it  necessary 
to  change  from  the  English  pronunciation  of  Latin 
in  preparing  pupils  for  college,  as  many  respectable 
colleges  adhere  to  the  old  way,  and  some  of  those 
which  '^ adopted"  the  new  have  used  several  meth- 
ods, under  various  instructors,  during  the  four-years' 
course.  For  most  pupils  the  end  proposed  in  study- 
ing Latin  is  not  orthoepy  nor  orthography,  and  philo- 
logical skill  is  not  dependent  on  the  accidents  of  utter- 
ance.       Yours  very  truly, 

Cecil  F.  P.  Bancroft,  Principal, 

230.  Among  those  using  the  English  are  : 


Trinity  College,  Conn. 
"Wabash  College,  Ind. 
Bowdoin  College,  Me. 
Williams  College,  Mass. 
Washington  University,  Mo. 
Madison  University,  N.  Y. 
Marietta  College,  Ohio. 


Northwestern  University,  Ind. 
Iowa  State  University. 
Amherst  College,  Mass. 
University  of  Minnesota. 
Dartmouth  College,  N.  II. 
Syracuse  University,  N.  Y. 
Lafayette  College,  Pa. 


University  of  South  Carolina.   University  of  East  Tennessee. 
University  of  Missouri.  University  of  Vermont. 

231,  Prominent  among  the  preparatory  schools 
adopting  the  English  are  Phillips  Exeter  Academy, 
N.  H.,  and  University  Grammar  School,  Providence, 
R.  L 

The  Continental  is  found  in — 


Yassar  College,  N.  Y. 
Roanoke  College,  Ya. 
Wooster  University,  Ohio. 
And  in  all  Catholic  institutions. 


University  of  Nebraska. 
University  of  Chicago. 


USAGE  IN  AMERICA. 


232.  The  Roman  is  used  in — 


123 


University  of  Kentucky. 
University  of  Michigan. 
Rochester  University,  N.  Y. 


Harvard  University,  Mass. 
University  of  California. 
Princeton  College,  N.  J. 
Central  College,  Mo. 
And  many  others. 

At  this  time,  usage  is  about  equally  divided  among 
the  three  in  this  country. 

233.  The  usage  of  other  institutions  may  be  seen 
by  referring  to  the  tables  above  given.  Professor  Cas- 
kie  Harrison,  of  the  University  of  the  South,  says  : 

"  I  still  believe  the  English  position  to  be  the  only 
tenable  one." 

The  attention  of  American  teachers  and  scholars 
is  earnestly  asked  to  the  next  chapter,  which  sets 
forth  usage  in  England,  as  shown  by  letters  just  re- 
ceived (March,  1879) ;  section  260. 


USAGE  IN  ENGLAND. 


125 


• . 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


USAGE  IN  ENGLAND. 


236.  Usage  in  the  great  schools  of  England  has 
a  special  interest  for  all  English-speaking  Latinists. 
E.  R.  Humphreys,  LL.  D.,  formerly  of  Cambridge 
University,  England,  is  at  this  time  teaching  in  Bos- 
ton, preparing  students  for  Harvard,  Boston,  and 
other  universities.  Within  eight  years  past,  Dr.  Hum- 
phreys wrote  letters  to  the  leading  educators  of  Eng- 
land, Italy,  and  other  European  countries,  asking  in- 
formation as  to  the  mode  followed  in  their  schools, 
and  the  result  was  a  large  collection  of  letters.  Seven 
of  these  were  published  in  the  **  New  England  Jour- 
nal of  Education  "  for  April  19,  1877.  Two  of  these 
letters  are  given  here,  one  from  Oxford  and  the  other 
from  the  celebrated  Rugby  School. 

237.  From  the  Rev.  Mandell  CEEionTON,  A.  M.,  recently  for 
several  years  Dean  and  Tutor  of  Merton  College^ 
Oxford^  now  Vicar  of  Embleton^  England. 

Embleton  Vicarage,  May  16^  1S7B. 

My  dear  Dr.  Humphreys  :  I  may  at  once  say 
that  the  new  system  of  the  pronunciation  of  Latin 
does  not  prevail  at  aU  at  Oxford — i.  e.,  is  in  no  way 
publicly  recognized,  nor  is  it  used  by  many,  if  indeed 
by  any,  of  the  tutors.     It  has,  I  believe,  made  more 


way  at  Cambridge.  One  or  two  of  the  public  schools 
have  taken  it  up,  but,  as  a  rule,  the  old  system  pre- 
vails unchanged. 

The  opinions  of  the  professors  are  merely  their 
j)crsonal  opinions,  without  any  official  validity.  So 
far  as  the  new  system  prevails  anywhere  in  England, 
it  prevails  merely  from  the  conviction  of  the  indi- 
vidual teacher,  who  adopts  it  himself,  and  so  encour- 
ages or  trains  his  pupils  to  adopt  it  also. 

Really  there  are  two  distinct  currents  of  opinion — 
one  in  favor  of  a  Continental  pronunciation,  instead 
of  an  insular  one  ;  another  in  favor  of  reproducing 
the  Latin  pronunciation,  according  to  Corssen's  rules. 

Of  those  who  have  changed  the  old  pronunciation, 
some  wish  only  to  do  the  first,  others,  the  second  of 
these  things.  Consequently,  even  among  those  who 
have  changed,  there  is  a  great  divergence  of  opinion  ; 
but  the  great  mass  of  teachers  have  not  changed  at  alL 

I  am,  dear  Dr.  Humphreys,  yours  very  truly, 

M.  Creighton. 

E.  R.  Humphreys,  Esq.,  LL.  D ,  Bostoriy  U.  S.  A, 


238.  From  the  Rev.  T.  W.  Jex-Blake,  D.  D.,  Read  Master 

qf  Rugby  School^  England. 

ScHOOLHOusE,  RuGBT,  May  26y  1876. 

My  dear  Sir  :  I  think  '*  reformed  Latin  pronun- 
ciation "  is  mere  waste  of  time,  and,  if  done  on  a  fic- 
titious, professor-made  plan,  absurd.  The  only  rea- 
sonable reform  would  be  to  take  the  existing  Italian 
pronunciation,  where  you  have  a  living  natural  guide. 

But  cut  bono  "Reform"  ?  Not  for  any  practical 
end ;   for  any  intelligent  man,  who  is  driven  to  use 


I 


126       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

Latin  as  a  medium  of  conversation  with  Continental 
scholars,  can  adopt  their  pronunciation  in  five  minutes. 

I  have  had  to  talk  Latin  with  patois-speaking  cures 
in  the  Alps,  whose  French  was  not  French,  and  whose 
German  was  not  German,  and  could  do  it  at  once.  In 
Norway,  I  was  for  days  on  a  steamer  with  a  Norwegian 
bishop,  and  all  our  talk  was  in  Latin,  on  his  method 
of  pronunciation,  and  we  talked  for  hours,  and  have 
since  corresponded  in  Latin. 

Leave  pronunciation  as  it  is,  would  be  my  advice, 
and  spend  your  time  in  clearer  teaching  of  the  idioms 
and  syntax  of  the  flexible,  terse  old  language,  and  in 
a  higher  treatment  of  its  literary  wealth. 

The  **  curiosafelicitas  "  of  Horace  does  not  depend 
on  pronunciation,  and  Virgil  will  not  become  "  nume- 
rosior  "  when  you  made  au  =  ou. 

Yours  sincerely,  T.  W.  Jex-Blakb. 

To  E.  R.  Humphreys,  Esq. 

239.  From  another  of  these  letters,  written  by  Pro- 
fessor Palmer,  of  the  University  of  Oxford,  we  learn 
that  in  1874,  in  response  to  a  request  made  by  "  head 
masters  "  of  schools.  Professor  Munro,  of  Cambridge, 
and  Professor  Palmer,  of  Oxford,  drew  up  a  "  Sylla- 
bus of  Pronunciation."  This  was  not  a  university 
document.  The  syllabus  contained  the  Roman  meth- 
od. Professor  Palmer  himself,  in  speaking  of  it.  May, 
1876,  says : 

"I  am  not  aware  that  individual  professors,  tu- 
tors, or  lecturers  venture  upon  it  in  dealing  with  their 
classes ;  nor  have  I  heard  that  Cambridge  has  been 
more  enterprising.  I  regard  our  syllabus  as  having 
fallen  still-bom." 


USAGE  IN  ENGLAND. 


127 


^1 


240.  Some  of  the  English  scholars,  however,  cher- 
ish the  hope  that  the  reformed  method  may  yet  be 
more  prevalent  in  England.  Dr.  Humphreys,  a  pu- 
pil of  Dr.  Donaldson,  author  of  ''  Varronianus"  and 
"  New  Cratylus,"  says  : 

"  But  in  Great  Britain,  the  letters  read  to  you  are 
amply  sufficient  to  show  that  there  is  no  probability 
of  the  adoption  of  the  new  system,  to  any  material  ex- 
tent, for  a  very  long  period  of  time,  if  ever." 

241.  From  letters  dated  within  the  present  year,  I 
learn  that  the  English  system,  which  still  unshaken 
maintains  its  place,  has  prevailed  at  Oxford  and  Cam- 
bridge for  '*  nearly  three  hundred  years."  Up  to  that 
time  the  Continental  was  in  use.  As  far  as  there  is 
any  desire  to  change  manifested,  some  prefer  to  adopt 
the  Continental,  and  others  the  new  method,  after 
Corssen's  rules,  whose  great  work  appeared  in  1858- 
'59.  The  facts  cited  set  English  usage  definitely  at 
rest.  The  English  system  prevails,  and  is  likely  to 
prevail  so  long  as  the  English  language  is  spoken  by 
English-speaking  people. 

242.  The  condition  of  things  in  England  eight 
years  ago  is  distinctly  indicated  by  these  letters. 
Speciarcare  has  been  taken  to  learn  the  status  of 
Latin  pronunciation  as  late  as  January,  1879.  Several 
letters  were  written  two  months  since  (1879)  to  some 
of  the  ablest  scholars  and  teachers  in  the  universities 
and  great  schools  of  England.  Answers  have  been 
received,  with  permission  to  use  them  as  we  saw  fit. 


243. 


MERCHAirr  Taylors'  School,  1^^^»  j. 


January  8^  1879. 

My  dear  Sir  :  In  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  24th 
ult.,  I  beg  to  inform  you  that  at  Merchant  Taylors', 


128       THE  THKEE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

the  English  method  of  pronunciation  of  Latin  is  still 
maintained.  Some  time  ago  I  tried  for  a  short  time 
to  introduce  a  reform,  but  the  experiment  was  nei- 
ther popular  nor  successful,  and  as  I  found  that  there 
was  no  general  acceptance  of  the  reformed  method, 
and  especially  as  it  seemed  to  meet  with  very  little 
support  at  the  universities,  I  went  back  to  the  old- 
fashioned  English  pronunciation.  Up  to  the  present 
time  nothing  has  occurred  to  induce  me  to  repeat  the 
experiment.  I  am,  my  dear  sir,  faithfully. 
Professor  Fisher.  WillIAM  Bakeb. 


USAGE  IN  ENGLAND. 


129 


244.  Harrow,  January  8y  1879. 

My  dear  Sir  :  In  reply  to  your  letter,  I  have  to 
say  that  we  still  retain  the  old  English  pronunciation 
of  Latin,  though  I  make  a  point  of  keeping  my  own 
form,  the  highest  in  the  school,  acquainted  with  the 
laws  of  pronunciation  laid  down  a  few  years  back  by 
Professors  Munro  and  Palmer.  Among  the  leading 
schools  which  have,  I  believe,  adopted  the  new  meth- 
od, are  Marlborough  College,  Liverpool  College,  and 
the  City  of  London  School.  The  masters  of  those 
schools  respectively  are,  the  Rev.  G.  C.  Bell,  the  Rev. 
George  Butler  (my  elder  brother),  and  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Abbott.      I  am,  my  dear  sir. 

Faithfully  yours, 

n.  Montagu  Butler. 

Professor  Fisher. 


245.  St.  Peter's  College,  Westminster,  ) 

January  8,  1879.        ) 

Dear  Sir  :  The  attempt  to  reform  the  English 
pronunciation  of  Latin  at  Westminster  has  been  but 


I 


partially  successful.  The  Senior  Class  read  (in  class) 
using  the  Italian  vowels,  and  the  hard  c  and  g.  The 
w  sound  for  v,  though  I  am  convinced  it  is  right, 
leads  to  such  ludicrous  results  to  an  English  ear,  that 
I  reject  it  in  practice.  Nor  can  I  exact  any  but  the 
old  pronunciation  in  "  repetition  "  lessons.  The  Jun- 
ior forms  do  not  even  attempt  the  innovation.  The 
indolence  of  our  boys  has  won  the  day,  as  it  has  at 
other  schools.  In  some,  no  doubt,  the  change  has 
been  more  or  less  successfully  made,  but  we  found  the 
waste  of  time  involved  in  correcting  mispronuncia- 
tions to  be  fatal.  It  is  hard  enough  to  teach  the  vari- 
ous subjects  required,  within  the  hours  that  are  avail- 
able, and  if  the  Latin  hours  are  to  be  spent  in  mere 
vocal  exercise,  the  language  can  never  be  learned  in 
the  time,  nor  the  author  studied. 

The  change  has  little  value  for  mere  boys ;  it  is 
when  they  come  to  comparative  philology,  and  to 
tracing  the  development  of  the  same  root  in  kindred 
tongues,  that  the  new  pronunciation  is  seen  to  bear 
fruit.  But  of  this  boys  can  not  easily  be  convinced  ; 
and  accordingly  they  did  not  care  for  a  change  that 
seemed  to  them  merely  troublesome.  If  the  pronun- 
ciation could  be  taught  in  childhood,  the  difficulty 
may  disappear ;  but  of  this  as  yet  no  great  prospect  is 
visible,  in  England,  at  least. 

At  the  Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge  the 
new  method  seems  to  have  taken  root. 
Believe  me,  my  dear  sir. 

Very  faithfully  yours, 

Charles  B.  Scott,  Head  Master. 

Professor  M.  M.  Fisher,  etc.,  University  of  Missouri, 


130       THE  THREE  rRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

246.  Shrewsbury  School,  January  13, 1S79. 

Dear  Sir  :  The  reformed  method  of  Latin  pro- 
nunciation has  been  introduced  into  this  school  to 
only  a  limited  extent.  In  the  sixth — our  highest 
form — the  boys  are  required  to  conform  to  the  rules 
drawn  up  by  the  Latin  professors  in  the  Universities 
of  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  in  saying  their  repetition 
lessons.  With  this  exception,  Latin  is  pronounced 
here  in  the  manner  which  has  so  long  been  usual  in 
English  schools.  I  believe  that  head  masters  gener- 
ally in  this  country,  although  there  was  some  hesita- 
tion for  a  time,  have  now  acquiesced  in  the  continu- 
ance of  the  established  method  of  pronouncing  Latin. 
For  my  own  part,  I  should  have  been  glad  to  comply 
strictly  with  the  rules  drawn  up  by  the  professors  of 
Latin,  if  other  head  masters  would  have  agreed  to 
make  the  change,  and  if  tutors  and  lecturers  at  Ox- 
ford and  Cambridge  had  not  adhered  to  the  received 
method.  In  a  matter  of  this  kind,  uniformity  of 
practice  is  obviously  desirable. 
Believe  me,  dear  sir, 

Yours  very  faithfully, 

H.  W.  Moss. 

To  t/ie  Professor  of  Latin  in  the  University  of  Missouri. 

P.  S. — You  may  make  any  use  of  this  letter  that 
you  think  fit. 


247.  Oxford,  England,  September  Sy  1878. 

Dear  Sir  :  I  am  ashamed  to  see  that  your  letter 
of  the  25th  of  June,  in  this  year,  has  been  so  long 
neglected.  I  have  really  nothing  to  add  to  my  letter 
of  1876.     The  subject  of  Latin  pronunciation  has  at- 


USAGE  IN  ENGLAND. 


131 


tra<5ted  little  attention  in  England  during  the  two 
past  years.  The  old  or  English  method  still  reigns 
unquestioned  at  the  universities,  nor  am  I  awaxe  that 
the  schools  have  shown  any  increased  disposition  to 
attempt  its  reformation.     I  consider  our  enterprise  a 

coup  manque*  .  .  . 

I  am,  dear  sir,  yours  very  faithfully, 

Edwin  Palmer, 
Ex-Professor  of  Latin  in  the  University  of  Oxford. 

M.  M.  FiSH£R,  Esq. 

248.  No  summary  of  these  letters  could  possibly 
give  any  additional  interest  in  the  eyes  of  American 
scholars.    The  simple  fact  that  they  are  of  recent  date, 
and  penned  by  some  of  the  ablest  scholars  and  teachers 
of  England,  will  secure  for  them  a  most  careful  peru- 
sal.  These  points,  however,  may  be  noted :  1.  That  the 
English  mode  "  reigns  unquestioned  at  the  universi- 
ties "    This  is  the  testimony  of  Professor  Palmer,  one 
of  the  authors  of  the  '^  Syllabus."  2.  That,  while  there 
was  some  hesitation  for  a  time,  head  masters  generally 
continue  the  old  method.    3.  Some  schools  have  tried 
to  introduce  the  new  system,  and  have  failed.    4. 
Other  schools  have  found  a  waste  of  time  involved  in 
using  the  reformed  mode  so  great  as  to  prove  fatal  to 

success. 

The  following,  from  the  Principal  of  Eton  College, 
Windsor,  dated  February  8,  1879,  contains  informa- 
tion and  arguments  of  the  highest  value  to  all  Eng- 
lish-speaking people : 

249.  Eton  College,  Windsor,  February  8, 1879. 

Dear  Sir  :  We  have  made  no  change  in  the  pro- 
nunciation  of  Latin  in  Eton.     A  movement  was  set 


132       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

on  foot  a  few  years  ago  for  bringing  in  a  new  system 
of  pronunciation  ;  and  the  Latin  professors  at  Oxford 
and  Cambridge  drew  up  a  syllabus,  based  on  the  best 
knowledge  of  the  day.  This  attempt  to  revert  to  the 
old  pronunciation  of  their  language  in  its  best  days 
has  a  great  interest  doubtless  for  scholars,  but  its  use 
in  the  practical  teaching  of  the  language  to  boys  is 
by  no  means  evident ;  and  though  for  a  time  it  found 
some  favor,  I  think  it  is  on  the  decline  in  England. 
It  seems  open  to  these  objections  : 

1.  That  our  knowledge  is  far  too  meager  to  enable 
us  really  to  recover  the  old  pronunciation  of  Latin  as 
it  existed  (say)  in  the  time  of  Cicero. 

2.  That  there  seems  to  be  but  little  hope  of  in- 
ducing other  nations  to  adopt  any  such  scheme  as 
that  proposed  by  the  two  professors. 

3.  That  the  introduction  of  a  new  pronunciation 
would  add  to  the  difficulties  of  the  early  stages  in 
teaching  Latin. 

4.  That  there  would  be  something  painfully  in- 
congruous in  attempting  the  pronunciation  of  Latin 
without  altering  that  of  Greek ;  and  there  seem  to 
be  almost  insuperable  difficulties  in  adopting  the  mod- 
em Greek  pronunciation  in  English  schools. 

5.  That  though,  in  following  the  general  practice 
of  foreign  nations,  which  is  to  pronounce  these  dead 
languages  according  to  the  laws  of  their  own  living 
tongue,  we  in  England  are  doubtless  further  from  the 
true  pronunciation  than  the  Italians,  or  even  th,e  Ger- 
mans (not  to  mention  others),  no  practical  inconven- 
ience seems  to  result  from  this,  except  the  difficulty 
of  speaking  intelligibly  to  a  foreigner  in  Latin—a 
difficulty  which  is  not  often  felt,  and  which  would 


USAGE  IN  ENGLAND. 


133 


not  be  obviated  or  greatly  diminished  by  adopting 
the  new  pronunciation.  I  can  not  help  also  feeling 
that  there  is  a  sort  of  pedantry  in  having  one  pronun- 
ciation of  such  names  as  Cicero  or  Virgil  for  a  school 
lesson,  and  another  for  the  intercourse  of  ordinary 
life ;  and  I  doubt  whether  the  new  system  would  ever 
take  root  in  general  society.  I  believe  that,  on  the 
whole,  the  more  thoughtful  and  liberal-minded  men 
at  Oxford,  to  speak  of  my  own  university,  which  I 
know  best,  are  not  favorable  to  the  abandonment  of 
our  present  system. 

Believe  me,  dear  sir,  very  truly  ever, 

J.  L  Hornby. 

Professor  M.  M.  Fish^ 

Univernty  of  Missouri^  Columbia^  United  Stoics, 

250.  This  letter  mentions  the  decline  of  the  new 
system  in  England,  and  the  writer  indicates  the  be- 
lief that  **the  more  thoughtful  and  liberal-minded 
men  at  Oxford  "  do  not  favor  giving  up  the  English. 

As  to  the  condition  of  things  in  Italy,  the  follow- 
ing letters  from  the  presidents  of  the  University  at 
Rome  and  the  College  of  the  Propaganda,  to  Dr. 
Humphreys,  of  Boston,  will  be  amply  sufficient : 

251.  From  the  Most  Rev.  Gustavus  Conbado,  Rettore  di 
Propagandd,  Collegia  Urhano,  Boma. 

CoLLiGK  OF  Propaganda,  Rome,  June  i,  1876. 

SiE  :  Your  letter  of  May  14th  came  to  hand  a  few 
days  ago,  but  I  was  unable  to  answer  it  sooner,  as  my 
occupations  are  numerous,  and  leave  me  but  little 
spare  time. 

It  is,  however,  with  the  greatest  pleasure  that  I 
seize  every  opportunity  of  contributing  to  further  the 


134       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OP  LATIN. 


study  of  the  Latin  language,  which  owes  so  much  to 
the  Catholic  Church. 

We  pronounce  here  the  comhinations  ae  and  oe 
precisely  in  the  same  way,  giving  them  always  the 
sound  of  a  in  the  English  word  mate.  This  supposes 
them  to  be  combined,  as  otherwise  each  letter  receives 
its  full  sound.  (For  example,  the  "Word  aer,)  The 
combination  au  is  so  pronounced  as  to  give  their  na- 
tive value  to  each  of  the  concurring  vowels,  but  with 
a  slight  stress  on  the  a.  The  result  is  a  sound  almost 
the  same  as  that  given  to  the  ow  in  the  English  word 
how.  The  letter  j  has  always  the  sound  of  y  in  the 
English  word  yes.  The  letter  c  is  pronounced  in  the 
same  way  as  in  Italian.  Before  the  combinations  ae 
and  ce,  it  retains  the  sound  it  has  before  i  and  e.  Also 
the  letter  g  is  pronounced  here  as  it  is  in  Italian.  Be- 
fore the  combination  cb,  which  is  not  found  in  Italian, 
it  retains  the  softer  sound,  which  it  has  before  e  and  i. 
The  letter  v  is  pronounced  invariably  as  it  is  in  Italian. 
The  words,  then,  which  you  mentioned  as  examples 
{vincity  Cicero,  gengiva)  are  pronounced,  as  far  as  the 
letters  agree,  like  the  Italian  words  vinciti,  Cicerone^ 
and  gengiva, 

I  remain,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

GUSTAVUS  CONRADO. 
£.  R.  HCMFHBETS,  EsQ.,  LL.  D. 


252.  From  the  Hector  of  the  Roman  University, 
R.  Unitersita  di  Roma,  II  Rettore,  Rome,  June  7, 1876. 

Sir  :  As  I  see  by  your  letter,  there  is  no  need  of 
giving  you  information  as  to  the  way,  in  general, 
Latin  and  Greek  are  pronounced,  I  limit  my  explana- 


USAGE  IN  ENGLAND. 


135 


tion  to  the  way  in  which  we  pronounce  Latin  in  our 
Italian  schools,  and  particularly  the  letters  and  com- 
binations alluded  to  in  your  letter. 

Generally,  the  Italian  pronunciation  holds  good 
also  for  Latin  ;  ae  and  oe  are  pronounced  as  a  in  fate; 
au  as  in  German,  c  in  Cicero  and  vincit,  as  the  Eng- 
lish ch  in  choose;  gas  in  gentleman,  German. 

I  shall  be  most  happy  to  give  you  any  further  in- 
formation you  may  require. 

Yours,  very  obediently, 

PiETTO  Blaurna. 

The  strictest  adherence  to  the  analogy  of  the  Ital- 
ian is  carefully  observed. 


IRELAND. 

253.  One  of  the  leading  institutions  of  Ireland  is 
Trinity  College,  Dublin.  Rev.  M.  D.  Hoge,  D.  D., 
of  Richmond,  Virginia,  one  of  the  most  eloquent  and 
scholarly  men  in  America,  in  the  "  Central  Presby- 
terian "  of  October  2, 1878,  gives  an  account  of  a  visit 
made  by  him  to  Dublin  during  the  sessions  of  the 
British  Association  in  that  city.  In  speaking  of  the 
grand  ceremony  of  conferring  Trinity  College  hono- 
rary degrees  upon  some  of  the  distinguished  members 
of  the  Association,  Dr.  Hoge  says  : 

254.  **  Among  the  candidates  were  Sir  John  Lub- 
bock, F.  R.  S.  ;  Sir  Joseph  Dalton  Hooker,  President 
of  the  Royal  Society  (who  accompanied  Sir  James 
Ross  in  his  visit  to  the  Antarctic  regions  in  1839) ;  Pro- 
fessor William  Henry  Flower,  Hunterian  Professor  of 
Comparative  Anatomy  in  the  Royal  College  of  Sur- 
geons, in  London;  Sir  Charles  Thompson,  Regius 


136       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

Professor  of  Natural  History  in  the  University  of 
Edinburgh  ;  and  the  famous  Thomas  Henry  Huxley. 

255.  "Each  of  the  twelve  candidates  was  intro- 
duced in  turn,  and  his  name  proposed  to  the  society 
for  the  highest  distinction  of  Trinity  College,  that  of 
Doctor  of  Laws,  honoris  causa.  When  Professor  Hux- 
ley's name  was  proposed  there  was  one  negative  vote, 
the  rest  being  elected  unanimously. 

256.  '•  In  conferring  the  degrees  a  different  ad- 
dress was  made  by  Dr.  Webb  (Queen's  counsel)  to 
each  candidate  in  Latin.  They  were  all  brief.  I  will 
give  you  two  samples  :  The  address  of  Professor  Jans- 
sen,  of  Paris,  was  this  : 

"  *  Praehonorabilis   Pro-Vice-Cancellarie   totaque 

XJniversitas : 

"  *  Praesento  vobis  virum  illustrem  Petrum  Julium 
Caesarem  Janssen,  insignem  apud  Parisienses  Profes- 
sorem.  Hie  rerum  terrenarum  augusto  in  limite 
aestuans  Solis  contemplator  exstitit,  et 

*  extra 
Processit  longe  flammantia  maeni  mundi.' 

257.  "And  to  Professor  Huxley  as  follows : 

"  '  Praehonorabilis    Pro-Vice-Cancellarie  totaquo 

XJniversitas : 

"  *  Praesento  vobis  Thomam  Henricum  Huxley— 
hominem  vere  physicum — hominem  facundum,  festi- 
vum,  et  venustum — ^hominum  nihil  (modo  philosophia 
sua  lucem  praeferat)  reformidantem — ne  hercule  illud 
quidem  Emranum, 

"  * Simia  quam  similis  turpissima  hestia  nobis! ' 

258.  "But  one  thing  in  these  ceremonies  espe- 
cially arrested  my  attention.    Trinity  College,  as  you 


USAGE  IN  ENGLAND. 


13T 


know,  stands  high  among  European  institutions  of 
learning,  and,  no  doubt,  keeps  step  with  others  in  the 
*  advanced '  scholarship  of  the  age  ;  and  yet,  in  all 
these  Latin  addresses  and  the  Latin  form  used  by  the 
Vice  -  Chancellor  in  conferring  the  degrees,  the  old 
English  pronunciation  was  uniformly  used.  I  think 
this  fact  will  be  interesting  to  some  of  my  friends  who 
read  this  letter." 

The  close  of  the  preceding  extract  gives  us  intima- 
tions of  Dr.  Hoge's  well-known  preference  for  "the 
old  English  pronunciation." 

259.  The  insertion  of  letters  more  recently  written 
is  unnecessary,  as  the  universities  and  great  schools  of 
England  adhere  closely  to  the  old  English  mode. 

260.  The  following  letter  from  an  eminent  English 
scholar  is  confirmatory  of  the  statement  just  made  : 

Boston,  June  21^  IS84, 

My  DEAR  Professor  Fisher  :  Pardon  a  few  days' 
delay  in  replying  to  your  letter  of  the  16th  inst.,  as 
I  am  very  busy  with  my  candidates  for  Harvard.  .  .  . 
I  have  not  time  to  write  you  at  any  length  to-night, 
but  I  can  answer  your  one  important  question  very 
distinctly.  The  "  reformed  "  Latin  pronunciation,  so 
far  from  having  gained  ground  of  late  in  the  English 
universities  and  public  schools,  has  lost  much  of  what 
little  favor  it  had  received  a  few  years  ago  at  a  few 
of  the  latter  institutions.  In  the  Universities  of  Ox- 
ford and  Cambridge  it  has  never  been  acknowledged 
or  adopted,  except  by  a  few  (certainly  eminent) 

scholars. 

I  am  often  made  painfully  aware  of  this  when 
reading,  in  the  long  vacations,  with  students  from 


136       THE  THB£E  PBONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

Professor  of  Natural  History  in  the  Uniyersity  of 
Edinburgh ;  and  the  famous  Thomas  Henry  Huxley. 

265.  "Each  of  the  twelve  candidates  was  intro- 
duced in  turn,  and  his  name  proposed  to  the  society 
for  the  highest  distinction  of  Trinity  College,  that  of 
Doctor  of  Laws,  Aonorw  ftiiwa.  When  Professor  Hux- 
ley's name  was  proposed  there  was  one  negative  vote, 
the  rest  being  elected  unanimously. 

256.  *'  In  conferring  the  degrees  a  different  ad- 
dress was  made  by  Dr.  Webb  (Queen's  counsel)  to 
each  candidate  in  Latin.  They  were  all  brief.  I  will 
give  you  two  samples  :  The  address  of  Professor  Jans- 
sen,  of  Paris,  was  this : 

"  '  Praehonorabilis   Pro-Vice-Cancellarie   totaque 

Universitas : 

"  '  Praesento  vobis  virum  illustrem  Petrum  Julium 
Caesarem  Janssen,  insignem  apud  Parisienses  Profes- 
sorem.  Hie  rerum  terrenarum  augusto  in  limite 
aestuans  Solis  contemplator  exstitit,  et 

*  extra 
Proces&it  longe  flammantia  maeni  mundi.' 

257.  "  And  to  Professor  Huxley  as  follows : 

"  '  Praehonorabilis    Pro-Vice-Cancellarie  totaque 

Universitas : 

"  '  Praesento  vobis  Thomam  Henrieum  Huxley— 
hominem  vere  physicum— hominem  facundum,  festi- 
vum,  et  venustum— hominum  nihil  (modo  philosophia 
sua  lucem  praeferat)  reformidantem— ne  hercule  illud 
quidem  Emranum, 

"  * Simia  quam  similis  turpissima  lestia  nobis! ' 
258.  "But  one  thing  in  these  ceremonies  espe- 
cially arrested  my  attention.    Trinity  College,  as  you 


USAGE  m  ENGLAND. 


137 


know,  stands  high  among  European  institutions  of 
learning,  and,  no  doubt,  keeps  step  with  others  in  the 
'advanced'  scholarship  of  the  age ;  and  yet,  in  all 
tliflfle  Latin  addresses  and  the  Latin  form  used  by  the 
Vice -Chancellor  in  conferring  the  d^rees,  the  old 
English  pronunciation  was  uniformly  used.  I  think 
this  fact  will  be  interesting  to  some  of  my  friends  who 
read  this  letter." 

The  close  of  the  preceding  extract  gives  us  intima- 
tions of  Dr.  Hoge's  well-known  preference  for  "the 
old  English  pronunciation.** 

259.  The  insertion  of  letters  more  recently  written 
is  unnecessary,  as  the  universities  and  great  schools  of 
England  adhere  closely  te  the  old  English  mode. 

260.  The  following  letter  from  an  eminent  English 
scholar  is  confirmatory  of  the  statement  just  made  : 

Boston,  June  21, 188J^ 

My  deak  Peofessor  Fisher  :  Pardon  a  few  days' 
delay  in  replying  to  your  letter  of  the  16th  inst.,  as 
I  am  very  busy  with  my  candidates  for  Harvard.  .  .  . 
I  have  not  time  to  write  you  at  any  length  to-night, 
but  I  can  answer  your  one  important  question  very 
distinctly.  The  "reformed"  Latin  pronunciation,  so 
far  from  having  gained  ground  of  late  in  the  English 
universities  and  public  schools,  has  lost  much  of  what 
little  favor  it  had  received  a  few  years  ago  at  a  few 
of  the  latter  institutions.  In  the  TJniversities  of  Ox- 
ford and  Cambridge  it  has  never  been  acknowledged 
or  adopted,  except  by  a  few  (certainly  eminent) 
scholars. 

I  am  often  made  painfully  aware  of  this  when 
reading,  in  the  long  vacations,  with  students  from 


138       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


Oxford ;  for  having,  as  you  know,  been  compelled,* 
(bg  elntlv,  to  adapt  my  pronunciation  to  the  standard 
of  Harvard,  to  which  university  most  of  my  pupils 
go,  I  find  it  diflScult  to  resume  my  old  English  pro- 
nunciation with  these  English  pupils.  ...  I  am 
glad  to  say,  in  reply  to  your  other  question,  that  some 
of  my  pupils  have  just  won  high  honors  at  Harvard, 
and  others  are  ranking  high  in  their  classes.  .  .  . 
I  am,  dear  Professor  Fisher, 

Yours,  very  truly, 

E.  K.  Humphreys. 


*  Section  818. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


265.  Special  Reasons  in  Favor  of  its  Use. — 
Before  giving  these  reasons,  it  is  not  inappropriate  to 
call  attention  to  the  circumstances  which,  in  part  at 
least,  led  to  the  preparation  of  the  present  work.  In 
Missouri  University  there  are  seventeen  associated 
schools : 

I.  the  academic  schools. 

A.    science. 

I. — 1.  Physics. 
II. — 2.  Chemistry. 

HI. — 3.  Natural  History — a,  Mineralogy;  h,  Bot- 
any ;  c.  Zoology ;  d,  Geology  and  Physi- 
cal Geography. 
IV.— 4.  Mathematics — Astronomy. 
V. — 5.  Metaphysics. 

B.   language. 
VI. —1.  English. 
VII. — 2.  Modem   Continental   (German,   French, 

Spanish). 
VIII.— 3.  Latin. 
IX. — L  Greek. 
X. — 5.  Semitic. 


140       THE  TimEE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


141 


n.   THE  PROFESSIONAL  SCHOOLS. 

XI. — 1.  Agriculture. 

XII. — 2.  Pedagogics. 

XIII.— 3.  Law. 

XIV. — 4.  Medicine. 

XV. — 5.  Mining  and  Metallurgy. 

XVI.— 6.  Civil  Engineering. 

XVII.— 7.  Art. 

266.  Many  of  these  schools  come  into  immediate 
and  vital  contact  with  the  Latin.  This  is  especially 
true  of  the  sciences,  pedagogics,  agriculture,  law,  and 
medicine  ;  in  fact,  this  remark  may  be  applied  to  all 
the  professional  schools.  The  hope  is  entertained  that 
service  may  be  rendered  not  only  to  the  students  in 
language,  but  those  also  in  law,  medicine,  zoology, 
botany,  mineralogy,  and  the  sciences  generally,  in 
which  Latin  terms  are  so  abundantly  used.  It  is 
true  that  in  many  of  our  law  and  medical  schools, 
even  the  oldest  and  most  celebrated,  there  is  no  fixed 
and  uniform  pronunciation  by  any  method.  The 
pronunciation  in  the  same  sentence  is  sometimes  by 
one  mode,  then  by  another,  and  then  perhaps  by 
neither. 

267.  Fifteen  years  ago  I  entered  upon  an  investi- 
gation of  the  so-called  Roman  method  with  a  view  to 
substituting  it  for  the  English,  if  the  new  system 
should  be  found  to  rest  on  a  basis  of  truth.  This 
examination  has  continued  until  the  present,  using 
all  the  helps  that  have  come  from  the  pens  of  able 
scholars  both  in  Europe  and  America  ;  the  conclusion 
reached  in  these  pages,  therefore,  is  the  result  of  care- 
ful reading  and  study,  and  the  preference  given  to 


the  settled  English  pronunciation  is  the  one  that  has 
been  forced  upon  me  by  the  stubborn  facts  on  both 
sides  of  the  question. 

268.  Let  it  be  clearly  understood  that  no  one  claims 
that  the  English  method  is  the  true  ancient  pronun- 
ciation of  the  Latin  language,  though  it  has  been  used 
for  three  hundred  years  in  England.  Let  it  be  admit- 
ted that  the  so-called  Roman  system,  as  advocated  by 
Corssen  and  Roby,  sandy  as  its  basis  is,  at  least  in 
vital  parts,  is  theoretically  correct.  Let  its  claims, 
based  largely  on  probabilities,  all  be  conceded ;  still, 
admitting  the  correctness  of  a  theory  and  reducing 
that  theory  to  practice  are  radically  and  vitally  dif- 
ferent. My  position  is,  therefore,  most  unhesitatingly 
taken  that  for  English-speaking  people  the  English 
pronunciation  is  the  best.  Some  of  the  reasons  will 
be  briefly  stated : 

269.  1.  The  last  edition  of  Webster's  "Diction- 
ary"* claims  120,000  words.  Of  these,  according  to 
the  highest  authority,  only  about  23,000  are  of  Anglo- 
Saxon  origin.  De  Vere  (page  43)  says  that  the  Eng- 
lish is  the  only  European  idiom  that  so  combines  the 
classic  and  Gothic  elements  as  to  make  the  Gothic  the 
basis  and  the  Latin  the  superstructure. 

270.  According  to  Professor  Whitney,  in  his  "  Life 
and  Growth  of  Language,"  f  nearly  five  sevenths  of 
the  words  contained  in  our  large  dictionaries  are  of 
classical  derivation,  and  only  about  two  sevenths  na- 
tive Germanic.  Far  the  greater  part  are  from  the 
Latin.     The  same  author  says  that  our  scientific 

*  The  Imperial  Dictionary  of  England  contains  about  130,000 

words. 

f  Vrhitney*8  "  Life  and  Growth  of  Language,"  pp.  89,  117. 


142       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

and  philosophical  Tocabulary  comes  mainly  from  the 
Latin. 

271.  The  number  of  words  derived  from  the  Greek 
is  considerable,  especially  in  scientific  use,  but  far  less 
than  from  the  Latin.  Take  some  of  the  richest  Latin 
prefixes  found  in  our  language.  With  co  or  con  as 
a  prefix,  we  haye  6,600  words ;  in  or  im,  2,900 ;  re, 
2,200;  di  or  dis,  1,800;  ady  1,600;  de,  1,600;  sub, 
700  ;  pre,  700  ;  pro,  600  ;  per,  350.  From  the  single 
root  fac  we  have  about  604  derivatives,  according  to 
Professor  Haldeman  (see  his  "  AflBxes,"  pp.  14-16). 

272.  The  author  last  quoted  is  of  the  opinion  that 
there  are  not  three  hundred  roots  in  any  language 
("Affixes,"  p.  13).  In  view  of  the  fact  that  such  a 
vast  majority  of  our  words  are  from  the  Latin,  either 
mediately  or  immediately,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  of 
these  three  hundred  stems  very  many  are  from  the 
same  classic  tongue,  we  are  vitally  interested  in  recog- 
nizing the  prefixes  and  stems  which  make  our  English 
what  it  is.  It  matters  not  whether  the  English  sys- 
tem of  pronouncing  Latin  has  been  used  one  hundred 
years,  three  hundred  years,  or  one  thousand  years : 
what  we  are  concerned  with  is  that  the  English  lan- 
guage, as  it  now  stands,  has  been  founded  on  the  old- 
fashioned  pronunciation  of  Latin.  This  is  indisputa- 
bly true.  Philologic  and  antiquarian  research  is  one 
thing ;  the  progress  of  a  language,  like  that  of  nations, 
is  quite  a  different  thing. 

273.  For  centuries  the  Latin  has  been  making  its 
rich  contributions  to  our  noble  English.  These  addi- 
tions to  our  language  are  being  made  to-day,  as  they 
will  be  made  in  the  future,  and  that  from  necessity. 
One  thing  of  inestimable  value  to  every  student  is  a 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


143 


. 


thorough  knowledge  of  his  mother-tongue— a  matter 
sadly  neglected  in  many  of  our  colleges  and  univer- 

si  ties. 

274.  The  question  for  English-speaking  people  to 
settle  is,  as  to  which  pronunciation  leads  most  directly 
to  a  vigorous  and  thorough  use  of  our  mother-tongue. 
We  answer  unhesitatingly,  the  English.     Let  us  have 
one  thing  at  a  time.    The  bearing  of  the  new  pronun- 
ciation on  comparative  philology  will  receive  due  at- 
tention hereafter.     Now  we  are  concerned  with  the 
vernacular.     Professor  Haldeman  says,  "  Sounds  and 
not  letters  furnish  the  material  for  etymology."* 
This  is  true,  and  we  wish  no  better  basis  for  our  pres- 
ent argument.     The  English  method  assists  the  stu- 
dent, even  in  his  early  Latin  course,  in  his  etymology ; 
and  the  derivation  of  words,  in  a  multitude  of  in- 
stances, becomes  manifest  from  the  very  pronuncia- 
tion itself.    Take  the  word  circumjacent,  for  example, 
from  circumjaceo.      Pronouncing  this  word  by  the 
English  method,  sur-cum-ja-se-o,  at  once  reveals  to 
the  pupil  the  origin  of  circumjacent.    The  likeness  is 
clear  even  to  a  child. 

275.  But  pronounce  the  same  word  by  the  Roman 
system,  and  circumjaceohecomea  keer-koom-yah-kay-o  ! 
The  connection  can  be  seen  only  by  advanced  scholars, 
and  is  very  likely  not  seen  then.  Take  the  words  rupt- 
ure,\  rustic,  social,  rumination,  from  ruptura,  rus- 
ticus,  socialis,  and  ruminationem.l  When  these  Latin 
words  are  pronounced  by  the  English  mode,  the  origin 

« •♦Affixes,"  p.  17. 

f  Skeat's  "  Etymological  Dictionary  "  ;  also  Cotgrave. 
X  In  all  the  Romanic  tongues  substantives,  with  rare  exceptions, 
are  formed  from  the  accusative  of  the  Latin. 


144       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


of  the  word  is  clear ;  but  let  the  Latin  be  pronounced 
roop'too-rah,  roos-tee-coos,  so-kee-ah-leece,  and  roo-mee- 
nah'tee-o-ndme,  and  the  origin  is  obscured  by  foreign 
sounds.  Try  vicinity,  vital,  citation,  equation,  civil, 
and  equity,  from  vicinitatem,  vitalis,  citationem,\ 
aequationem,*  civilis,  and  aequitatein.j  The  English 
mode  reveals  the  truth,  for  "sounds  furnish  the  ma- 
terial for  etymology."  Apply  the  so-called  Roman 
and  say  wee-kee-nee-tah-tdme,  wee-tah-leess,  kee-ta-tee- 
o-ndme,  aye-kah-tee-o-ndme,  kee-wee-leess,  and  aye-hee- 
tah-tdme,  and  English  etymology  is  offered  a  sacrifice 
to  a  revolutionary  innovation.  Again,  look  at  the 
common  verbal  stems  jac,  val,  die,  due,  pel,  and  so  on 
through  the  list.  Whenever  these  stems  occur  in  our 
language,  the  English  system  of  pronouncing  Latin 
gives  a  clew  to  both  the  origin  and  meaning  of  the 
words,  as,  for  example,  ejaculatory,X  valid,  diction, 
induction,  compel.  It  does  not  require  an  advanced 
scholar  to  verify  and  apply  the  statements  just  made. 
The  most  diligent  scliolar  of  any  age  who  has  not 
made  the  trial,  will  be  surprised  to  find  in  how  many 
of  our  words  these  Latin  verbal  stems  form  the  per- 
manent home  of  the  idea. 

276.  The  student  of  Latin  can  easily  be  induced 
to  form  the  habit,  from  the  very  start,  of  tracing  up 
the  derivation  of  words,  and  the  habit  thus  formed 
may  be  of  incalculable  benefit  in  other  directions.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  Roman  method  confuses  the  stu- 
dent in  both  derivation  and  signification,  or  so  entirely 
conceals  them,  that  the  beneficial  results  to  genuine 

*  Skeat*fl  "  Etymological  Dictionary  " ;  also  Cotgrave.      f  Ibid. 
X  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  easiest  and  most  obvious  illustrations 
arc  used. 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


145 


English  scholarship  are  almost  totally  sacrificed.  Loy- 
alty to  what  some  are  pleased  to  call  the  "  demon- 
strated rights  of  the  Latin  "  may  be  a  good  thing,  but 
loyalty  to  a  masterly  understanding  of  our  own  tongue 
is  a  far  better.  The  Roman  mode  abandons  one  of  the 
strongest  incentives  that  can  be  brought  to  bear  in  the 
class-room — that  of  enabling  the  pupil  to  see  and  hear 
at  once  and  easily  the  intimate  relation  between  the 
Latin  and  the  English. 

277.  The  English  pronunciation  has  all  the  culture 
of  any  system,  and  superadds  immense  advantages  in 
English  etymology.  In  a  certain  sense,  England  is 
now  master  of  the  world,  and  in  one  hundred  years 
the  English  language  will,  in  all  probability,  be  the 
ruling  language  of  the  earth.  Robinson's  "  Univer- 
sity Algebra  "  is  said  to  be  used  now  in  the  University 
of  Japan,  and  also  in  the  Sandwich  Islands.  The 
present  and  the  probable  unfolding  of  the  future 
make  loyalty  to  the  masterly  understanding  of  our 
etymology  a  duty  incumbent  on  every  one  who  re- 
gards the  rights  of  his  "mother- tongue." 

278.  "  But,"  replies  Professor  W.  G.  Richardson, 
*'  the  eye  has  quite  as  much  to  do  as  the  ear,  perhaps 
more."  He  virtually  admits  that  the  phonetic  method 
of  pronouncing  Latin  is  a  barren  fig-tree  in  etymology 
when  the  sound  is  considered,  but  the  eye,  he  thinks, 
may  relieve  the  case  and  make  his  new  mode  tolerable. 
From  what  source  do  young  people  learn  most  of  lan- 
guage in  pronunciation,  if  not  also  in  meaning  ?  We 
might  answer,  by  the  ear.  But  in  the  present  case  we 
answer  that  in  the  use  of  the  English  pronunciation 
in  its  relation  to  our  etymology  the  ear  is  wholly  on 
our  side,  and  the  eye  is  as  much  on  our  side  as  on  his ; 

n 


146       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

nay,  more,  for  the  hard  pronunciation  of  the  Latin 
makes  a  chasm  between  what  the  ear  hears  and  what 
the  eye  sees  on  the  printed  page. 

279.  Professor  Tetlow,  coming  to  the  aid  of  his 
able  friend,  says,  *'  This  appeal  to  the  eye,  moreover, 
is  quite  sufficient  to  render  obvious  the  derivation." 
("New  England  Journal,"  November  29th.)    He  is 
writing  of  the  derivation  of  English  words.   Very  well. 
The  eye  is  sufficient  to  the  task,  and  if  all  American 
and  English  boys  were  comparative  philologists,  there 
might  be  force  in  the  argument  of  Mr.  Tetlow.     The 
question  is  not,  what  is  sufficient  to  show  the  deriva- 
tion of  English  words  ?  but,  what  system  of  Latin 
pronunciation  is  of  most  value  in  English  etymology ; 
what  system  shows  the  derivation  most  naturally, 
easily,  and  universally  ?    Asking  such  a  question  is  at 
once  an  emphatic  answer  in  behalf  of  the  system  that 
"reigns  unquestioned"  at  Oxford  and  Cambridge, 

England. 

280.  Against  the  argument  now  under  discussion 
in  behalf  of  the  English  system,  Mr.  Tetlow  urges  : 

"  Secondly,  etymologies  of  this  kind  are  so  obvious, 
from  the  twofold  identity  of  form  and  sound,  that  they 
are  wholly  devoid  of  interest.     They  require  so  little 
ingenuity  on  the  part  of  the  student,  as  to  be  valueless 
for  purposes  of  philological  training.    They  do  not  dis- 
cipline the  mind  to  the  quick  recognition  of  kinship 
in  words  that  have  undergone  changes  of  form.    What 
school-boy,  for  example,  does  not  find  his  curiosity 
more  stimulated  in  tracing  the  connection  between 
the  Latin  digitus  and  the  French  doigt,  than  in  trac- 
ing the  derivation  from  the  Latin  digitus  of  the  Eng- 
lish digit ;  or  in  detecting  the  tiffinity  of  frigidus  with 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


147 


froid,  than  in  having  thrust  at  him  the  relationship 
between  frigidus  and  frigid  ?  The  kind  of  etymo- 
logical training  that  this  argument  would  recommend 
is  wholly  distinct  from  that  which  enables  the  pupil 
to  appreciate  the  relationship  of  such  forms  as  the 
Greek  olvog,  the  Latin  vinum,  the  English  wine,  and 
the  French  vin," 

281.  This  quotation  brings  to  the  surface  the  con- 
stantly recurring  fact  that  the  reformers  forever,  in 
the  defense  of  their  theory,  turn  to  comparative  phi- 
lology.  Well  they  may ;  for  the  *' Roman"  side,  if  it 
has  any  virtue  at  all,  can  lay  no  claim  to  assistance  in 
English  etymologies.     They  tell  us  that  "  this  train- 
ing is  wholly  distinct  from  that  which  enables  the  pu- 
pil to  appreciate  the  relationship  of  such  forms  as  the 
Greek  olvog,  the  Latin  vinum,  the  English  wine,  and 
the  French  vin.''    Indeed,  it  is  different,  and  the  dif- 
ference is  founded  largely  in  the  plain  home-truth 
that  to  see  the  relation  readily  between  our  own  words 
and  the  parent  Latin  is  of  first  and  vital  importance. 
Telling  a  class  that  comparative  philology  is  valuable 
and  interesting,  does  not  prove  that  a  thorough  and 
intelligent  knowledge  of  their  own  etymology  is  not 
valuable  and  interesting.     With  most  students,  their 
own  tongue  is  infinitely  the  most  important. 

282.  "But,  thirdly,  not  only  is  the  kind  of  ety- 
mological discipline,  which  Professor  Fisher  so  highly 
commends,  uninteresting  in  its  processes  and  barren 
in  its  results,  but  it  is  not  seldom  positively  mislead- 
ing. It  has  begotten  in  the  past  a  tendency  to  build 
fanciful  and  false  etymologies  on  mere  superficial 
resemblances,  and  has  caused  works  that  were  once 
thought  to  be  sacred  and  permanent  repositories  of 


li 


148       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

philological  truth  to  be  looked  upon  as  whited  sepul- 
chres in  which  philological  error  lies  buried.  These 
are  no  longer  welcomed  as  trusted  guides  in  classical 
study  ;  they  are  now  rejected  as  dangerous  compan- 
ions." 

283.  Here  the  author  last  quoted  urges  that  using 
that  system  of  pronouncing  Latin  which  makes  the 
derivation  of  our  words  most  obvious  is  "  uninterest- 
ing and  barren  in  its  results."  This  assertion  from 
an  English-speaking  scholar  is  surely  both  ill-omened 
and  startling.  He  seems  to  think  that  English  ety- 
mology as  touching  the  classic  Latin  is  so  easy  as  to 
require  no  skill  for  such  a  barren  and  uninteresting 

field  of  inquiry. 

284.  **  English  is  not  a  language  which  teaches 
itself  by  mere  unreflecting  usage.  It  can  only  be 
mastered,  in  all  its  wealth,  in  all  its  power,  by  con- 
scious, persistent  labor ;  and  therefore,  when  all  the 
world  is  awaking  to  the  value  of  general  philological 
science,  it  would  ill  become  us  to  be  slow  in  recog- 
nizing  the  special  importance  of  our  own  tongue." 
(Marsh's  "  Lectures  of  English  Language,"  18G0.) 

285.  If  the  kind  of  etymological  study  now  under 
discussion  is  barren  and  uninteresting,  why  should 
Professor  Marsh  say  that  the  wealth  and  power  of  the 
English  is  not  to  be  mastered  without  "conscious 
and  persistent  labor  "  ?  Mastering  English  etymology 
is  one  of  the  most  difficult  duties  before  the  American 
student  and  scholar.  For  inBimce,  faction,  fiction, 
efface,  imperfect,  defective,  officer,  efficacious,  benefi- 
cial, counterfeit,  profit,  indefeasible,  on  the  authority 
of  Professor  Haldeman,  are  all  built  on  the  root  fac. 
Is  this  easily  seen  by  a  novice  in  Latin  ?    Can  it  be 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


149 


fi 


easily  seen  by  our  Latin  instructors  ?  Do  such  re- 
sults flash  out  by  intuition  ?  How  many  teachers, 
even  in  our  best  schools,  have  ever  known  them? 
Or,  if  they  have  known  them,  obvious  as  they  are, 
have  they  ever  taught  them  ? 

286.  So  far  is  the  etymological  study  we  recom- 
mend from  being  "  barren  and  uninteresting,"  that 
we  may  safely  affirm  that  not  one  hundred  scholars  in 
America  can  lay  claim  to  anything  like  superior  ex- 
cellence in  English  etymology.  This  statement  will 
force  itself  on  every  one  who  cares  to  examine  Halde- 
man's  *' Etymology,"  and  his  "Affixes  to  English 
Words."  Instead  of  being  too  easy,  tracing  our  words 
back  correctly  often  escapes  the  occupant  of  the  pro- 
fessor's chair  ;  instead  of  being  uninteresting,  it  can 
be  made  thrillingly  interesting,  and  that,  too,  to  the 
highest  classes  in  American  colleges  and  universities  ; 
instead  of  being  barren,  it  brings  the  richest  offering 
that  can  be  laid  on  the  altar  of  genuine  scholarship. 

287.  The  truth  is,  that  the  argument  we  have  set 
forth  as  the  first  one  in  defense  of  the  English  system 
has  never  been  answered  in  either  England  or  Amer- 
ica, and  that  for  the  simple  reason  that  it  can  not  be 
answered.  We  might  rest  the  case  with  this  argu- 
ment ;  but  there  are  others. 

288.  2.  Accuracy  in  pronouncing  English. — 
One  of  the  signs  of  the  times  that  bodes  evil  and  only 
evil,  is  the  notorious  truth  that  impatient  haste  is 
the  bane  of  real,  genuine  scholarship  in  America  to- 
day. English  scholarship,  true,  old-fashioned,  accu- 
rate knowledge  of  our  English,  is  in  many  sections 
below  par,  and  in  no  place  does  it  receive  merited 
attention.    This  comes  not  only  from  haste,  but  the 


160       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

multiplicity  of  studies,  wrong  methods,  and  last,  but 
not  least,  the  tremendous  foreign  element  in  our  midst, 
especially  from  the  Continental  nations.  Many  edu- 
cated men  think  it  a  sign  of  culture  to  give  a  Conti- 
nental twang  to  their  words.  Thus,  some  say  in  pro- 
nouncing quinine,  kee-neen',  instead  of  following  the 
only  authorities,  Webster  and  Worcester,  and  saying 
qui-niney  the  i  having  in  both  syllables  the  long  Eng- 
lish sound,  not  the  long  Continental.  The  school-boy 
who  is  taught  the  English  pronunciation  correctly, 
learns  the  power  of  the  letters,  in  general,  particularly 
the  sound  of  the  vowels  and  the  division  of  words  into 
syllables,  and  more  particularly  still,  the  sound  of  the 
vowels  in  all  the  relations  which  they  may  sustain  to 
the  consonants.  The  Koman  Latinists  tell  us  to  send 
the  boys  to  the  primary  school,  where  they  have  such 
superior  apparatus  for  imparting  such  knowledge. 
We  value  these  schools  as  highly  as  any  one,  but  can- 
dor compels  the  expression  of  what  every  skillful 
teacher  knows  to  be  true,  namely,  that  no  child  in  a 
primary  school  will  ever  become  thoroughly  conver- 
sant with  the  power  of  the  English  alphabet. 

289.  The  ablest  scholars  of  the  day  find  it  neces- 
sary to  study  their  letters.  Let  the  boy  or  girl  learn 
all  that  boys  and  girls  can  learn  in  a  primary  school, 
and  then,  under  an  able  teacher,  who  understands  the 
English  pronunciation  of  Latin  as  he  ought,  let  them 
study  the  grand  old  language  of  Cicero,  and  we  shall 
have  scholars  who  know  how  to  use  their  own  won- 
derful language.  Every  lesson  the  student  learns  has 
a  reflex  influence  on  his  English.  In  the  so-called 
Latin  mode,  every  lesson,  every  sound,  every  associa- 
tion leads  away  from  the  vernacular.     In  a  case  of 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


151 


I 


k 


this  kind  the  crucible  is  the  place  to  test  the  matter, 
and  the  crucible  in  this  instance  is  the  experience  of 
our  ablest  and  most  successful  teachers  in  the  clafis- 

room. 

290.  Here  we  are  glad  to  have  at  hand  a  letter 
from  the  accomplished  scholar  and  veteran  educa- 
tor. Professor  F.  T.  Kemper,  of  Boonville,  Missouri. 
This  letter  has  such  direct  bearing  upon  the  English 
method  of  pronouncing  Latin  for  accuracy  of  Eng- 
lish scholarship,  as  to  make  any  additional  remarks 
unnecessary  under  this  head. 

291.  "I  could  under  no  circumstances  be  in- 
duced to  abandon  our  accurate  and  thorough  drill  in 
the  English  pronunciation  of  the  Latin  language, 
though  we  teach  and  value  highly  the  Roman  meth- 
od also.    No  other  exercise  so  fixes  the  attention  of 
young  and  thoughtless  minds,  and  secures  such  a<5- 
curacy  of  mental  habits.     A  few  pages  of  the  Latin 
Reader,  analyzed  by  the  rules  for  pronunciation,  se- 
cures the  mastery  of  the  subject ;  and  then  the  rules 
come  into  use,  not  only  throughout  school  and  college 
life,  but  in  almost  every  casual  conversation.     Why, 
for  example,  the  first  a  in  Saracen  and  sardonyx  are 
pronounced  so  differently,  or  the  second  a  in  Samaria 
and  Samaritan,  are  but  specimens  of  what  is  always 
needed,  and  what  our  public  speakers  often  do  not 

know." 

292.  Professor  Kemper's  school  has  been  m  ex- 
istence for  nearly  forty  years,  and  is,  in  the  West, 
what  Phillips  Academy  is  in  New  England.  More 
accurate  training  is  not  found  in  America.  The  ex- 
perience of  this  able  teacher  corresponds  with  that 
of  Arnold  of  Rugby,  and  of  the  accomplished  Jex- 


152       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

Blake,  who  now  fills  Arnold's  place.  Accuracy  in 
English  is  in  value  ahove  rubies,  and  is  seldom  at- 
tained. Many  who  have  taught  the  English  method 
have  evidently  never  mastered  the  subject.  For  ex- 
ample, a  writer  in  the  **New  England  Journal  of 
Education,"  for  December  26,  1878,  uses  this  sen- 
tence :  "  Again,  diphthongs  are  long  in  quantity,  but 
the  genitive  of  Caesar  we  call  Cafisaris  (S^zaris)."  He 
gives  the  s  the  z  sound  in  an  oblique  case.  Does  it 
not  have  the  hissing  sound  in  the  oblique  cases  ?  Do 
not  the  authorities  say  so  ?  So  we  think.  How  many 
teachers  can  give  the  reason  why  a  in  Saracen  and 
sardonyx  are  not  alike  ?  How  many  can  tell  why  a 
in  Samaria  differs  from  a  in  Samaritan  ?  Such  ex- 
amples are  of  constant  recurrence,  and  while  the  stu- 
dent learns  carefully  the  English  mode,  he  at  the 
same  time  learns  the  more  elegant  way  to  pronounce 
his  own  language.  Mark  you,  the  English  system,  at 
the  same  time  the  class  learns  to  pronounce  Latin, 
gives  as  a  necessary  consequence  the  most  valuable  aid 
in  etymology,  and  also  in  English  orthoepy.  Hence 
the  English  method  economizes  time,  while  the  so- 
called  Roman  mode  kills  the  time,  sacrifices  the  ety- 
mology, and  completely  revolutionizes  the  orthoepy. 
"I  am  a  total  stranger  to  you,  but  take  the  liberty  of 
a  brother  professor  to  offer  you  my  best  thanks  for 
your  capital  book  on  the  pronunciation  of  Latin. 
But  one  thing  I  am  fully  persuaded  of,  and  that  is 
that  our  would-be  classical  reformers  will  not  only 
murder  Latin,  but  slaughter  English  in  the  bargain." 
(T.  W.  Coit,  Professor  of  Church  History,  Berkeley 
Divinity  School,  Middletown,  Connecticut.) 

293.  We  hear  frequently  from  our  best  educated 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


153 


\^ 


public  speakers,  and  from  many  a  teacher's  desk,  mis- 
takes which  a  rigid  drilling  in  the  use  of  the  English 
pronunciation  would  have  prevented.  Thus  deriva- 
tion, meaning,  and  pronunciation  favor  decidedly  the 
system  that  has  been  employed  in  England  since  the 
reign  of  Elizabeth. 

294.  3.  Latin  and  Greek  Proper  Names.— -Of 
these  there  are  not  less  than  fourteen  thousand  found 
in  our  large  dictionaries.  These  names  are  pro- 
nounced, not  after  the  Continental  method,  much 
less  after  the  doubtfully  resurrected  method ;  but  in 
all  cases  after  the  Walkerian  or  English  system.  This 
is  a  consideration  of  vast  importance.  A  class  taught 
the  "  hard  "  or  Roman  mode  of  pronunciation  will,  in 
multitudes  of  instances,  call  these  names  wrong.  This 
is  daily  obvious  to  any  instructor  who  uses  the  Latin 
method,  more  especially  if  he  thinks  it  worth  while 
to  conform  to  standard  authority.  The  English  pro- 
nunciation brings  with  it  convenience,  consistency, 
and  accuracy  in  proper  names.  The  student  does  not 
need  to  pronounce  Caesar,  Ki-sar,  when  he  reads  the 
text  and  Se-zar  when  he  translates. 

296.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  too,  that  several 
thousand  classical  words  have  been  omitted  in  the 
most  recent  editions  of  our  great  dictionaries.  The 
omission  embraces  monosyllables,  a  large  number  of 
dissyllables,  words  of  rare  occurrence,  and  many  fic- 
titious names  found  in  the  poets.  The  number  of 
classical  names  is  vastly  larger  than  a  mere  passing 
acquaintance  might  lead  scholars  to  suppose.  The 
best  reply  to  this  argument  for  the  English  mode  is 
taken  from  a  recent  writer  on  the  side  of  the  hard 
method : 


154       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

298.  "  In  the  first  place,  how  many  of  these  four- 
teen thousand  proper  names  are  Greek,  and  not  Latin 
at  all?  The  more  troublesome  half,  probably.   Would 
Dr.  Fisher  have  us  reverse  his  argument,  and  going 
back  for  the  sake  of  these  Greek  proper  names  twenty- 
five  years,  revive  the  old  pronunciation  of  Greek,  with 
its  English  sounds  of  the  vowels  and  its  disregard  of 
the  written  accents  ?    Consistency  would  require  this. 
But  we  have  fought  that  battle  once  and  won  it,  and 
the  worthy  professor  must  imitate  his  Southern  breth- 
ren, and  abide  by  the  results  of  the  war.    Again,  how 
many  of  these  fourteen  thousand  proper  names  are 
important  from  their  frequent  occurrence  ?   Probably 
not  two  hundred.     If  the  pupil,  when  he  meets  any 
of  these  two  hundred  in  his  Latin  text,  is  required, 
in  translating,  to  use  the  English  pronunciation,  and 
this  is  at  present  the  prevailing  practice,  he  will,  if 
English  analogies  aid  him,  pronounce  them  correctly 
without  further  assistance.     If  English  analogies  do 
not  aid  him,  he  will  learn  the  proper  pronunciation 
precisely  as  he  learns  the  pronunciation  of  unfamiliar 
English  words— viz.,  by  personal  examination,  from 
the  dictionary,  or  by  imitation,  from  his  teacher.     If 
he  relies  on  his  rules  exclusively,  he  will  call  the 
brother  of  Hector,  Pa'-ris,  and  the  city  of  Alexander, 
Alexandria.     In  the  case  of  names  that  occur  but 
rarely,  and  that  may  fairly  be  assumed  to  be  unfamil- 
iar to  the  ordinary  pupil,  he  must  either  consult  his 
dictionary  for  the  quantity  of  the  penult,  or  run  the 
risk  of  giving  a  false  accent.     But  if  he  must  consult 
his  dictionary  to  determine  the  place  of  accent,  what 
is  to  prevent  him  from  noting,  at  the  same  time,  pre- 
cisely as  he  does  with  other  unfamiliar  words,  the 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


155 


i 


marks  that  indicate  the  proper  vowel  and  consonant 

sounds  ?  " 

297.  But  what  force  has  this  answer  to  our  posi- 
tion ?    Let  us  see.     The  first  statement  is  that  **  the 
more  troublesome  half,  probably,''  of  these  proper 
names  are  Greek  and  not  Latin.     For  the  moment, 
we  grant  the  correctness  of  the  assertion,  and  sup- 
pose that  even  eight  thousand  of  these  words  are 
Greek.    Now,  then,  does  not  the  writer  know  that  all 
these  Greek  proper  names  in  our  lexicons  are  pro- 
nounced universally  and  invariably,  in  both  England 
and  America,  according  to  the  old-fashioned  Eng- 
lish ?    No  one  can  believe  that  these  able  Roman 
Latinists  have  allowed  the  fact  here  alluded  to  to 
escape  them.     And  yet  the  quotation  above  might 
lead  a  student  to  suppose  that  these  Greek  names 
were  pronounced  after  the  method  of  pronouncing 
Greek  now  commonly  received  in  this  country.     We 
mean  the  Erasmian.     The  truth  is,  that  not  a  single 
proper  name  in  Webster  or  Worcester  is  pronounced 
according  to  the  Erasmian  mode,  not  one.     All  such 
replies  simply  reveal  the  weakness  of  the  cause  they 
are  designed  to  strengthen.     As  an  illustration,  take 
^-ga-tes,  iE-gis-thus,  Delphi,  Theophrastus,  Ther- 
mopylae,  and   Scythopolis.     These   names   are  pro- 
nounced E-gd'-teZy  E-gh'-thus,  DU'-pU,  The-d-phrds'- 
tUsy  Th^r-rndp'-y-lee,  and  Scy-Mp'-o-lis,  according  to 
the  English  method.     And  so  of  the  rest. 

298.  Again,  the  author  of  the  quotation  makes  the 
wholly  gratuitous  assumption  that  "  probably  not  two 
hundred  "  of  those  names  are  of  frequent  occurrence. 
Will  it  not  be  hard  to  induce  a  thorough  scholar,  who 
has  taken  anything  like  a  thorough  course  in  our  best 


156       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

schools,  to  believe  that  only  two  hundred  names  out 
of  a  list  of  over  twenty  thousand  are  of  importance 
on  account  of  frequency  ?    Ooe  hour's  work  in  Web- 
ster's Dictionary,  by  one  who  is  conversant  with  the 
classic  tongues,  will  dissipate  quite  effectually  all  such 
arguments.   There  are  over  fifty  proper  names  on  the 
very  first  page  of  Webster  that  are  of  decided  impor- 
tance to  our  college  classes.    But  even  if  compara- 
tively few  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  we  insist  that 
an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  English  mode  puts  the 
student  in  possession  of  those  that  he  does  meet  fre- 
quently and  also  of  those  which  are  even  of  rare  occur- 
rence.    His  accurate  habits,  learned  in  the  English 
mode,  sweep  in  every  proper  name,  whether  in  the 
lexicon  or  out  of  it.     But,  say  the  reformers,  the  pu- 
pil can  learn  how  these  names  are  pronounced  "  from 
the  dictionary  or  by  imitation."    Are  students  apt  or 
inclined  to  consult  dictionaries  ?    Let  experience  the 
world  over  answer.     As  to  imitation,  a  teacher  who 
knows  no  pronunciation  but  the  new  one,  will  find  it 
necessary  to  learn  by  imitation  from  somebody  else 
before  he  will  be  a  safe  guide  in  the  class-room.   This 
writer  tells  us  that  if  a  student  "relies  on  his  rules 
exclusively,  he  will  call  the  city  of  Alexander,  Alex- 
andria.''   And  so  he  will,  for,  as  a  classical  word,  it 
has  no  other  pronunciation.     To  show  the  vast  supe- 
riority of  the  English  over  any  other  mode,  and  es- 
pecially the  reformed  method,  take  two  students: 
one  has   learned  the  English  well,   and  the  other 
the  "Roman."    Ask  them  to  see  how  ^sculapius  is 
pronounced  in  the  dictionary.     The  English  student 
turns  to  the  page,  and  needs  but  one  thing  to  put 
him  in  possession  of  the  desired  information,  and 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


157 


I 


that  is  the  length  of  the  penult.  This  found,  he  re- 
plies, the  word  is  pronounced  Es-cu-ld'-pe-us,  for  his 
English  training  has  taught  him  the  sounds  of  the 
vowels  and  consonants  in  their  various  relations. 
Then  the  "Roman"  turns  to  the  page,  and  reports 
the  same  word  as  being  Ice-koo-lah'-jpee-oos.  He  sees 
the  d  marked  long,  but  his  "  Roman"  a  is  ah  and  not 
a  in  fate.  His  new  mode  makes  him  mispronounce 
the  diphthong  w,  and,  in  a  word,  has  disqualified  him 
to  pronounce  fourteen  thousand  or  more  words,  even 
with  the  highest  authority  in  his  hands. 

299.  But,  say  the  new  Romans,  if  boys  must  look 
for  the  length  of  the  penult  in  order  to  fix  the  accent, 
why  can't  they  at  the  same  time  note  "the  marks  that 
indicate  the  proper  vowel  and  consonant  sounds  "  ? 
We  reply  that  they  can't  do  it,  because  the  diction- 
aries do  not  give  any  such  marks  to  show  vowel  and 
consonant  sounds  in  proper  names.     The  place  of  the 
accent  is  marked,  and  that  is  all.     The  English  stu- 
dent  does  not  need  them  ;  the  "Roman"  student,  by 
his  very  training,  has  been  disabled  and  disqualified 
for  his  work  in  interpreting  the  words  in  our  diction- 
aries.    If  such  marks  were  used,  students,  after  the 
reformed  method,  could  not  or  would  not  apply  them. 
This  is  not  all  yet.    The  reformer  says,  "  And  I  do  not 
believe  that  our  English  speech  would  suffer  material- 
ly, if  his  whole  system  should  be  supplanted  by  one 
more  rational." 

300.  The  reference  is  to  the  Walkerian  or  English 
method  of  pronouncing  proper  names.  What  more 
rational  system  do  they  propose  ?  Would  these  schol- 
ars drag  our  English  language,  which  forms  so  large 
and  essential  a  part  of  our  national  development,  back 


158       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

to  the  standard  of  Varro  and  Plautus  ?  Under  this 
head  we  are  not  discussing  either  probabilities  or  pos- 
sibilities, but  living  facts,  every-day  facts.  In  proper 
names  the  English  is  infinitely  to  be  preferred  ;  the 
so-called  Roman  is  misleading  and  disabling,  and  then 
enfeebling  in  its  tendencies. 

301.  4.  Law  Terms,  Phrases,  and  Maxims. — We 
go  to  the  Romans  for  our  polity  and  jurisprudence. 
The  English  obtained  them  from  the  Romans,  we 
from  the  English.  In  Britain,  at  no  remote  jieriod 
in  the  past,  a  large  part  of  the  laws  and  all  the  court 
records  were  in  the  Latin  tongue  (Bouvier's  "Law 
Dictionary, '*  vol.  ii,  p.  15).  Since  English  was  made 
the  language  of  the  courts,  a  vast  number  of  technical 
terms  and  phrases,  in  the  original  Latin,  have  con- 
tinued in  use.  The  law-books  abound  with  them. 
Ever  since  the  Tudor  age,  the  great  jurists  in  Eng- 
land have  used  the  English  pronunciation  in  their 
pleading.  They  do  it  to-day.  For  generations  the 
same  has  been  true  in  America.  Webster,  Everett, 
Choate,  and  others  knew  no  other  in  their  practice. 
If  Blackstone  were  in  court  to-day,  and  some  jurist 
should  call  for  a  scire  facias*  and  pronounce  it  skee- 
ray  fah-Jcee-ahs,  he  would  be  puzzled  ;  or  if  the 
pleader  should  quote  the  maxim  vicarius  non  hahct 
vicarium,  and  pronounce  it  wee-kah-ree-oos  none  hah- 
hat  wee-kah-ree-oom,  he  would  never  recognize  the 
maxim.  The  Roman  pronunciation  would  confuse 
every -English  court  in  the  world,  if  for  no  other 

♦  These  phraaes,  and  such  as  follow,  were  not  selected,  as  some 
have  thought,  simply  to  ridicule  the  so-called  Roman  system,  but  to 
show  that  it  introduces  confusion,  wastes  time,  and  sacrifices  con- 
sistency and  convenience. 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


159 


\\ 


reason  because  it  is  so  totally  at  variance  with  estab- 
lished usage.     In  law,  then,  consistency  requires  the 

old  mode. 

802.  As  a  further  illustration  of  the  change  the 
so-called  Roman  method  would  make  in  the  legal  pro- 
fession, take  certiorari,  which  becomes  kayer-tee-o- 
rah-ree  ;  capias  ad  satisfaciendum  becomes  kah-pee- 
ahs  ahd  sah-tees-fah-kee'dne-doom.     Broom's  ''  Legal 
Maxims  "  :  salus  populi  suprema  lex  becomes  sah-loos 
pope-oO'lee  soo-pray-mah  lakes ;    necessitas   inducit 
privilegium   quoad  jura  privata,   nay-kace-see-tahs 
een-doo-keet  pree-wee-lay-gee-oom  ko-ahd  yoo-ra  pree- 
wah-tah ;  summa  ratio  est  quo  pro  religione  facit, 
soom-mah  rah-tee-o  dst  kye  proh  ray-lee-gee-oh-nay 
fah'keet.    Our  courts  will  then  hear  Dies  Dominicus 
non  est  juridicus  called   dee-ace  Doe-mee-nee-kooss 
none  dst  yoo-ree-dee-kooss  ;  rex  nunquam  moritur, 
rakes  noon-cahlm  mo-ree-toor ;  boni  judicis  est  am" 
pUare  jurisdictionem,  bo-nee  yoo-dee-keess  dst  ohm- 
plee-dh-ray  yoo-rees-deec-tee-oh-name ;    while   actus 
curia  neminem  gravabit  and  volenti  non  fit  injuria 
must,  in  the  so-called  Roman,  be  pronounced  ahk- 
tooss   koo-ree-aye  nay-mee-name  grah-waJi-beet   and 
woe-lane-tee  none  feet  een-yoo-ree-ah. 

303.  The  Medical  Peofession.— Here  the  sweep- 
ing change  becomes  even  more  painfully  obvious.  For 
example,  arteria  circumflexa  must  be  called  ahr-tay- 
ree-ah  keer-koom-fldkes-ah  ;  vena  jugularis,  way-nah 
yoo-goo-lah-rees  ;  medulla  oblongata,  rmy-dooUah  obe- 
lone-gah-tah  ;  pia  mater,  pee-ah  mah-tayer  ;  saccus 
lachrymalis  becomes  sahc-coos  lahch-ree-mah-lees  ; 
nervi  ciliares,  nayer-wee  kee-lee-ah-race  ;  coccyx,  koke- 
kecx  ;  ulna,  ool-nah  ;  valvula  tricuspis  must  be  called 


/ 


160       THE  THREE  PRONXJNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

wahl'WOO'lah  tree-hoos-peace ;  vertedrw,  wayer-tay- 
brye  ;  os  humeri,  oce  koo-may-ree  ;  scapula,  scah-poo- 
lahj  tibia,  tee-bee-ah ;  tympanum,  teem-pah-noom  ; 
femur,  fay-moor  ;  biceps  flexor  cubiti  is  transformed 
into  bee-kapes  flakes-ore  coo-bee-tee  ;  fascia  super- 
ficidlis  colli,  fahs-kee-ah  soo-payer-fee-kee-ah-leess  ; 
and  iter  a  tertio  ad  quartum  ventriculum  is  at  once 
revolutionized  and  caricatured  by  being  pronounced 
ee-tayer  ah  tayer-tee-oh  ahd  kahr-toom  wane-tree-coo- 
loom.  These  words  have  not  been  selected  for  their 
strangeness,  but  because  they  give  a  fair  indication 
of  the  confusion  that  the  so-called  Roman  would  in- 
troduce into  this  learned  profession.  Who  can  believe 
that  physicians  in  England  and  America  will  adopt 
such  an  innovation  ? 

304.  So  far  for  anatomy  and  physiology  ;  but  ma- 
teria medica  demands  a  notice. 

There  are  over  six  hundred  words,  all  Latin  but  a 
very  few,  used  to  designate  the  medicines  in  ordinary 
practice.  A  few  samples  will  suffice  to  show  how  the 
new  pronunciation  will  transform  the  names  of  medi- 
cines in  our  drug-stores  :  dnchonidia  must  be  called 
keen-cho-nee-dee-ah  ;  gambogia,  gahm-bo-gee-ah  (g  in 
get) ;  jalapa,  yahl-ah-pah  ;  veratria,  way-rah-tree-ah  ; 
calcium,  kahl-kee-oom ;  cinnamomum,  keen-nah-mo- 
moomj  cuprum,  koo-proom;  hydrargyrum,  hee-drahr- 
gee-room  ;  scrupuJus,  scroo-poo-looss  ;  guttce,  goot-tye  ; 
quinia,  kee-nee-ah  ;  plumbum,  ploom-boom  ;  decoctum, 
day-koke-toom  ;  asafcetida,  ahss-sah-foy-tee-dah. 

805.  Write  out  this  prescription  : 

Eecipe. 

Extracti  colocinthidis  compositi,  grana  xxxij. 

Extracti  jalapae. 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM.  161 

Hydrargyri  chloridi  mitis,  ana  grana  xxiv. 

GambogisB,  grana  vi. 

AqusB,  quantum  sufficit, 

Misce.     In  pilulas  xxiv  divide. 

Signa. 

306.  Take  this  to  an  apothecary,  and  pronounce  it 
after  the  reformed  mode  : 

Ray-kee-pay. 

Akes-trahc-tee  co-lo-keen-thee-dees  com-po-cee-tee 
grah-nah  xxxij. 

Akes-trahc-tee  yahl-ah-pye, 

Hee-drahr-gee-ree  chlo-ree-dee  mee-tees,  ah-ndh 
grah-nah  xxiv. 

Gahm-bo-gee-eye  {g  in  go)  grah-nah  vi. 

Ah-kye,  kahn-toom  soof-fee-keet. 

Mees-cay. 

En  pee-loo-lahss  xxiv  dee-wee -day, 

Seeg-nah, 

307.  There  are  perhaps  not  twenty  apothecaries  in 
America  who  would  understand  such  a  prescription 
when  thus  read. 

308.  A  few  words  will  show  the  transformations  in 
zoology : 

radiata    becomes  rah-dee-ah-tah. 


articulata 

t( 

ahr-tee-koo-lah-tah. 

mollusca 

it 

mole-looss-cah. 

vertebrata 

(t 

wayer-tay-brah-tah. 

ursidm 

iS 

oor-see-dye. 

carnivora 

tt 

kahr-nee-wo-rah. 

taurus 

t€ 

tow-rooss. 

tigris 

ti 

tee-greess. 

162      THE  THKEE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


cygnus    becomes 

locust  CB  " 

columhm 
apivorus 
hovina 


<( 


(( 


tt 


keeg-nooss, 

lo'koos'tye, 

JcO'loom-hye. 

ah-pee-wo-rooss. 

bo-wee-nah. 


309.  Note  the  revolution  the  hard  method  would 
cause  in  botany.     For  example,  we  must  call — 


ranunculacece, 

rosacecB, 

cistacecB, 

crucifercB, 

convolvulacecB, 

violacecB, 

cimicifuga, 

nasturtium, 

rubus, 

foBTiicuIum, 


rah'noon'Jcoo-lah'kay-eye. 

rd-ssah'Jcay-eye. 

kees-tah'Icay-eye, 

kroo-hee-f ay-rye. 

cone'Wole-woo-lah'kay-eye, 

wee-oh'lah'Cay-eye, 

kee-mee-kee-foo-gah, 

nahs'toor-tee-oom, 

roo-booss, 

foy-nee-koo-Ioom, 


310.  5.  The  sweeping  change  advocated  by  the 
new  pronunciation  tends  to  a  complete  revolution  in 
the  pronunciation  of  our  own  language.  Professor 
Thacher,  of  Yale  College,  uses  the  following  lan- 
guage :  "  For,  to  speak  of  Latin  words  which  we 
have  adopted,  how  long  will  Cicero  maintain  his 
place  in  English  pronunciation  after  the  rod  shall 
have  banished  him  from  the  lips  of  all  Anglo-Saxon 
boys  and  girls  who  thumb  the  little  Latin  histories  of 
the  men  of  Rome,  and  shall  have  substituted  the 
classical  Kee-ka-ro  in  his  place  ?  How  long  will  Caesar 
stand  against  Kaisar,  Scipio  against  Skee-peeo,  Fabri- 
cius  against  Fah-bree-kee-oos,  Cyrus  against  Keeroos, 
Tacitus  against  Taketoos,  and  so  on  through  a  long 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


163 


list  of  proper  names  which  make  a  familiar  part  of 
our  English  language  ?  Prima  facie  evidence  will  be- 
come pr^emah  fahkeeah  evidence,  the  qtiid  pro  quo, 
keed  pro  co  ;  the  genius  loci,  a  *  ganeeoos  lokee  ;  the 
mens  conscia,  a  mans  conskeeah  (o  as  in  cone) ;  scili- 
cet, skeeleekdt ;  et  cetera,  at  katarah." 

311.  Let  V  be  pronounced  like  w,  and  note  the  way 
the  most  common  expressions  will  be  transformed  : 

viva  voce    becomes  wee-wah  wo-kay. 


per  centum 
jure  divino 
jus  civile 
verbatim 
vivat  regina 


(t 


(C 


a 


par  kane-toom, 
yoo-ray  dee-wee-no, 
yoos  kee-wee-lay. 
wayer-bah'teem, 
wee-waM  ray-gee-nafi. 


312.  And  hopeless  confusion  is  made  of  the  many 
Latin  words  incorporated  into  English,  as  utile  dulce 
must  be  oo-tee-lay  dool-cay  ; 

vale,  wah'lay. 

vice  versa,  wee-kay  wayer-sah. 

ceteris  paribus,  kay-tay-reess  pahr-ee-boos. 

statu  quo,  stah-too  koe. 

313.  This  illustration  might  be  prolonged  indefi- 
nitely, for  the  material  is  abundant,  but  thei*e  is  no 
necessity  for  it.  What  has  been  given  is  a  fair  sam- 
ple of  the  radical  change  the  so-called  Roman  must 
introduce  to  our  class-rooms,  and,  in  fact,  in  all  the 
walks  of  life  where  Latin  is  at  all  employed. 

♦  The  long  a  here  shows  how  the  e  in  ffcnius  is  sounded  in  the 
»♦  Roman  "  mode,  and  does  not  refer  to  the  quantity  of  the  Latin 
vowel.  So  of  many  other  words.  In  the  "  Roman  "  letters  have  in- 
variably the  same  sound.    Section  146. 


164       THE  THUEE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


314.  Allen  and  Greenough,  though  they  adopt  the 
new  method,  say:  "The  English  method  should  be 
retained  in  the  translation  of  Roman  names,  as  Julius 
Caesar ;  and  in  the  quoting  of  familiar  phrases,  as  eplu- 
ribusunum,  viva  voce,  a  fortiori,  veni,  vidi,  via,"*  etc. 
("  Grammar,"  p.  7.) 

315.  Professor  W.  G.  Eichardson  says,  **  I  would 
moYe  to  adjourn  a  body  sigh-nee  die-ee,  same  as  of 
yore."  This  concession  on  the  part  of  these  Ro- 
man Latinists  is  an  unequivocal  recognition  of  the 
fact  that  the  system  they  advocate  involves  violent 
changes.  They  know  well  that  to  insist  on  applying 
their  resurrected  system  to  the  people's  Latin  at  once 
would  create  a  prejudice,  not  to  use  a  stronger  word, 
against  the  whole  theory  so  fondly  cherished.  But 
we  know,  and  all  scholars  know,  that  when  the  re- 
formed mode  is  introduced  into  our  schools,  these 
Latin  expressions,  which  have  been  for  generations 
part  and  parcel  of  our  language,  must  feel  the  change 
and  soon  be  uttered  in  the  reformed  style.  But  the 
revolution  does  not  stop  with  Latin  words. 

316.  The  able  scholar  last  quoted  speaks  thus : 
"  But  all  these  proper  names  and  Latin  phrases  are 
very  few,  when  compared  with  the  English  words 
which  preserve  in  their  composition  one  or  more  syl- 
lables  taken  from  the  Latin.  Can  such  words  long 
retain  their  present  pronunciation  against  the  united, 
though  perhaps  unconscious  and  involuntary,  inclina- 
tion of  all  educated  men  who  speak  English  ?  For 
we  think  it  must  be  the  tendency  of  those  who  be- 

•  But  if  the  English  is  to  be  retained  in  proper  namesy  familiar 
pkrasety  including  law,  medical,  scientific  terms,  etc.,  then  why  waste 
time  over  reform  in  Latin  pronunciation  ? 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


165 


come  familiar  with  the  proposed  pronunciation  of 
Latin,  to  extend  it  to  English  words  which  are  nearly 
identical  in  form  with  Latin  words,  and  are  identical 
with  them  in  meaning  ;  and  the  more  familiar  such 
persons  are  with  the  former,  the  more  inclined  will 
they  be  to  the  latter.     The  word  necessity,  for  in- 
stance, must  follow  the  lead,  of  necessitas  (nakasse- 
tahs)  ;  civil,  civilis  (keeveelees)  ;  ludd,  lucidus  (loo- 
keedoos) ;  invincible,  invinciUlis  (eenveenkeebeelees)  ; 
conscious,  conscius  (conskeeoos),  and  so  on  through 
wprds  innumerable."    The  Roman  Latinist  answers 
this  argument  thus  :  *'  The  words  that  belong  to  the 
general  vocabulary  of  English  speech  are  not  under 
the  dominion  of  any  class  of  persons  ;  and  their  pro- 
nunciation will  remain  stationary,  or  will  fluctuate 
quite   independently  of    special  movements  among 
scholars."    But  scholars  are  not  the  only  ones  who 
have  influence  in  this  case.     There  are  multitudes  of 
students  of  both  sexes  whose  power  will  be  as  effect- 
ual as  that  of  the  writer  or  teacher.     Let  the  thou- 
sands of  students  of  Latin  in  America  to-day  be  taught 
the  new  method,  and  the  danger  to  our  own  tongue 
from  the  harsh  and  hard  sounds  of  the  so-called  pho- 
netic mode  would  be  amazingly  increased.     This  is 
true  not  only  in  the  abstract  but  in  the  concrete. 
There  are  students  in  this  university  at  this  hour 
whose  English  is  marred  by  having  been  taught  the 
innovation.     The  same  is  true  in  other  places. 

317.  The  fears  here  expressed  are  shared  by  some 
of  the  ablest  scholars  and  teachers  of  the  present 
generation.  Very  recently.  Dr.  Humphreys  delivered 
a  lecture,  in  Boston,  on  "Our  Mother  Tongue  ;  its 
Growth,  Maturity,  and  Rights."    In  this  lecture  are 


lee       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

found  the  following  words,  which  deserre  the  calmest 
and  most  serious  consideration  on  the  part  of  those 
who  consider  it  the  duty  of  a  scholar  to  be  loyal,  not 
only  to  his  country,  but  also  to  his  mother-language  : 
318.  "  Our  mother-tongue's  rights  should  not  only 
guard  her  against  injury  from  the  ignorant  and  care- 
less and  vicious,  but  also,  strange  as  the  remark  may 
seem,  from  the  injudicious  zeal  of  scholars  and  phi- 
lologers,  who  are  often  led  to  confound  antiquarian 
learning,  most  valuable  in  itself,  with  living  language, 
the  word-fossils  of  the  dead  and  distant  past  with  the 
animated  forms  and  utterances  of  the  active,  vigor- 
ous present.  This  is  not  the  time  nor  the  place  to 
discuss  what  I  allude  to  at  any  length ;  but  it  is 
known  to  you  all  that  a  warm  controversy  has  been 
going  on  for  some  years  as  to  the  pronunciation  of 
Latin,  a  language  that  enters  so  largely  into  our  mod- 
em English.  When  once  Harvard  University  had  de- 
cided to  adopt  the  new,  or,  as  it  is  claimed,  the  old 
method,  I  felt  it  my  duty  as  a  classical  tutor,  prepar- 
ing pupils  for  that  university  (after  entering  a  strong 
public  protest  in  the  interest,  as  I  believed,  and  still 
believe,  of  our  mother-tongue,  against  the  change), 
to  submit  to  the  wishes  and  authority  of  the  leading 
university  of  my  adopted  country.  But  I  have  daily 
proofs  among  both  my  own  pupils,  and  yet  more 
among  those  of  some  public  schools,  of  the  justice  of 
the  fears  expressed  by  me  two  years  ago,  of  the  prob- 
able evil  reflex  influence  of  the  new  Latin  pronun- 
ciation upon  our  English  language.  We  may  lightly 
laugh  at  the  novel  appearance  of  Keekero  and  Kaisar 
in  place  of  the  long-familiar  Cicero  and  Caesar,  but 
when  we  daily  hear  the  same  hard  and  harsh  pronun- 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


167 


ciation  extending  its  sway  over  hundreds  of  words 
familiar  to  us  as  household  terms,  as  the  works  of 
Shakespeare,  Milton,  and  other  great  masters  of  our 
mother-tongue,  it  is  time  for  an  honest  teacher  and 
lover  of  his  native  language  once  more  to  raise  a  voice 
of  warning,  and  especially  to  entreat  our  young  peo- 
ple, even  while  learning  Latin  in  the  new  style,  not 
to  be  led  by  a  love  of  novelty,  or  by  ostentation  of 
*  advanced  scholarship,'  to  revolutionize  and  ruin  our 
grand  old  English  language,  by  dragging  it,  as  it 
were,  back  through  the  ages  of  its  grand  and  rich  de- 
velopment, in  order  to  dock  and  lop  it  into  likeness 
of  the  uncouth  Latin  of  two  thousand  years  ago  I 
During  nearly  twenty  years,  I  have  given  proofs  here 
of  earnest  devotion  to  Greek  and  Latin  scholarship, 
and  to  the  advocacy  of  thoroughness  in  the  teaching 
of  those  languages  ;  but  now,  once  again,  as  often  be- 
fore, I  maintain  that  our  love  and  loyalty  are  due  first 
and  foremost  to  our  Mothee-Tongub  1 " 

319.  This  distinguished  linguist  and  teacher  uses 
the  new  pronunciation,  though  he  does  it  under  pro- 
test, in  preparing  pupils  for  Harvard  University,  and 
his  experience  as  to  the  reflex  influence  of  the  re- 
formed method  on  our  English  tongue  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  in  the  case  before  us.  What  Dr. 
Humphreys,  of  Boston,  and  Professor  Thacher,  of 
Yale  College,  find  to  be  true  in  actual  practice,  will 
very  likely  prove  true  with  all  who  will  give  sufficient 
attention  to  the  subject  to  see  the  real  results  in  the 
class-room.  Every  tree  is  known  by  its  fruits  ;  every 
doctrine  must  be  tried  by  its  practical  results.  This  is 
true  in  the  domain  of  thought  as  well  as  in  the  domain 
of  action.    Testing  the  new  system  by  this  principle. 


168       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


169 


we  have  to  apprehend  the  most  serious  consequences 
to  our  own  tOngue.  To  sum  up :  The  English  system 
puts  the  student  in  possession  of  all  the  proper  names, 
as  soon  as  the  quantity  of  the  penult  is  known  ;  makes 
him  master  at  sight  of  all  the  Latin  expressions  that 
have  heen  incorporated  into  English,  and  makes  him 
more  familiar  daily  with  the  mother-tongue.  The 
Eoman  mode,  on  the  other  hand,  disables  the  stu- 
dent for  handling  our  large  lexicons,  and  introduces, 
almost  of  necessity,  a  new  pronunciation  of  all  the 
proper  names,  makes  confusion  of  the  many  Latin 
words  and  phrases  which  have  been  made  part  of  our 
own  vocabulary,  and,  what  is  worse,  tends  to  revolu- 
tionize the  tongue  of  both  England  and  America. 

320.  6.  There  is  another  phase  of  this  threatened 
REVOLUTION — a  phase  of  which  some  of  the  followers 
of  the  phonetic  mode  are  fully  conscious,  and  of  which 
others  seem  at  least  to  be  wholly  unconscious.  Wo 
mean  the  Spelling  Reform,  now  so  ably  advocated 
by  such  scholars  as  Whitney,  of  Yale  College  ;  Halde- 
man,  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania ;  Harris,  of 
St.  Louis  ;  and  others.  They  hold  that  the  Latin  was 
a  phonetic  language,  that  every  letter  had  its  sound 
and  every  sound  its  sign.  But  we  use  the  Roman  alpha- 
bet,  and  if  those  able  teachers  can  introduce  the  pho- 
netic orthography  into  our  English  tongue,  then  the 
revolution  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  is  complete.  There  is 
no  desire  whatever  to  misrepresent  the  Spelling  Re- 
form Association,  and  they  shall  be  allowed  to  present 
their  own  case.  Professor  March,  the  ablest  Anglo- 
Saxon  scholar  living,  in  an  address  delivered  in  Phila- 
delphia, in  August,  1876,  uses  this  language  : 

321.  *^ In  behalf  of  this  system  it  maybe  said  that 


( 


it  will  be  easiest  to  read  for  all  who  read  French,  Ger- 
man, Latin,  Greek,  or  Anglo-Saxon,  and  will  have  all 
learned  associations  in  its  favor.  It  will  be  easiest  for 
children  and  the  illiterate  to  learn.  It  will  make  the 
learning  of  foreign  tongues  easy.  It  will  settle  the 
school  pronunciation  of  Latin  and  Greek.  We  shall 
pronounce,  of  course,  as  the  Romans  did,  for  that  will 
be  our  natural  reading  of  the  letters.  No  one  will 
think  of  studying  up  a  pronunciation  so  remote  and 
diflBcult  as  our  English  method  will  then  become, 
or  of  making  a  lingua  Franca  of  good  old  Latin, 
after  the  manner  of  the  so-called  Continental 
method." 

322.  That  the  Reform  Association  aim  at  revolu- 
tion in  English  orthography  is  as  certain  as  that  two 
and  two  make  four.  This  is  conceded.  That  the  re- 
formed Latin  pronunciation  means  revolution  in  Latin  . 
is  just  as  certain.  That  too  is  conceded.  Reform  in 
English  spelling  and  reform  in  Latin  pronunciation 
are  natural  allies.  They  logically  go  hand  in  hand. 
The  hard  method  must  come  into  our  vernacular  as 
an  inevitable  necessity.  For  Professor  March  says, 
**  We  shall  pronounce,  of  course,  as  the  Romans  did, 
for  that  will  be  our  natural  reading  of  the  letters." 
Hence,  the  English  and  the  so-called  Continental 
modes  of  pronouncing  Latin,  according  to  Professor 
March,  will  no  more  be  thought  of,  and,  worst  of  all, 
and  positively  sure  in  process  of  time,  will  be  the 
dragging  of  our  noble  English  tongue,  with  all  its 
hallowed  associations,  back  to  the  hard,  harsh,  and 
uncouth  standard  which  Roman  Latinists  insist  char- 
acterized the  stately  Latin  two  thousand  years  ago. 

323.  The  Reform  Association  would  have  us  spell 
8 


170       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

thus  :  "  Ardtedy  cemistry,  carader.^^  (Bulletin  Spell- 
ing Reform  Association,  July,  1877,  No.  2 .)  It  is  amaz- 
ing that  the  advocates  of  the  so-called  Latin  method  do 
not  see  that  the  avowed  tendency  of  the  spelling  re- 
fonn,  and  still  more  amazing  that  they  do  not  see  that 
their  system,  by  a  logic  as  irresistible  as  fate,  not  only 
displaces  what  may  be  called  the  rival  systems  of  Latin 
pronunciation,  but  also  forces  a  revolution  upon  their 
native  language.  This  is  not  simply  the  cry  of  an 
alarmist.  It  is  a  consequence  that  has  been  published 
to  the  world  for  years. 

324.  Look  further.  This  reform  in  spelling  will 
involve  a  serious  hindrance  in  etymological  studies ; 
our  great  dictionaries  become  comparatively  worth- 
less ;  our  language  becomes  a  *'  rara  avis  in  terris,^^ 
as  foreigners  can  not,  without  much  difficulty,  recog- 
nize English  words  akin  to  their  own  or  other  foreign 
tongues ;  printers  must  get  new  type  ;  everybody  in  a 
certain  sense  must  again  learn  to  read,  etc.  These  ob- 
jections are  recognized  on  all  sides  by  the  spelling  re- 
formers. They  tell  us  that  time  will  remedy  the  evils. 
That  is,  if  people  will  revolutionize,  they  will,  in  the 
course  of  generations,  become  accustomed  to  the  legiti- 
mate consequences  of  this  fundamental  and  radical 
change.  Spelling  reform  means  revolution,  the  re- 
formed Latin  pronunciation  is  its  natural  ally  ;  both 
mean  revolution,  the  one  directly  and  the  other  indi- 
rectly, and  that,  too,  in  the  English  language. 

325.  It  is  sincerely  believed  that  there  is  no  ade- 
quate reason  for  abandoning  a  pronunciation  that 
tends  to  conserve  the  English  language  and  to  mature 
English  scholarship,  and  adopting  another  that  works 
such  confusion  in  all  departments  pf  learning,  and 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


171 


If 


whose  hai-d  sounds  might  in  time  revolutionize  the 
Anglo-Saxon  tongue. 

326.  It  must  be  obvious,  therefore,  to  any  consid- 
erate mind  that  the  change  proposed  by  the  reformers 
is  radical  and  revolutionary,  and  none  but  the  most 
overwhelming  reasons  can  justify  any  one  in  acquies- 
cing in  its  claims. 

327.  7.  But  it  may  be  urged  that  the  use  of  the 
REFORMED  METHOD  would  render  English-speaking 
Latinists  intelligible  all  over  the  world.  This 
argument  would  come  with  great  force  if  founded  on 
fact.  Just  here  we  join  issue  with  the  friends  of  the 
new  pronunciation.  What  are  the  facts  ?  These  :  no 
two  nations  in  Europe  pronounce  Latin  alike;  the 
Roman  method  does  not  coincide  with  a  single  sys- 
tem in  Europe  :  and  the  American  or  Englishman, 
with  the  hard  sounds,  would  be  as  unintelligible  on 
the  Rhine,  Seine,  and  Tiber,  as  if  he  used  the  Eng- 
lish mode.  More  :  in  Italy  the  true  pronunciation,  as 
it  is  called,  would  add  harshness  to  unintelligibility. 
For  proof  of  what  has  just  been  attested,  let  the 
scholar  examine  the  sounds  of  the  modern  languages, 
and  particularly  the  consonants  which  make  articu- 
late speech  what  it  is. 

328.  For  instance,  there  is  a  wide  difference  in  v, 
j,  c,  between  the  Italian  and  the  reformed  system,  as 
taught  in  England  and  Germany  : 

r  =  V,  in  Italian.  ' 

v  =  w,  in  German. 

y  =  a  vowel,  in  Italian. 

j  =  y,  in  German. 

c  is  soft  before  e,  i,  y,  etc.,  in  Italian. 

c  is  always  hard  in  German. 


( 


/ 


172      THE  THREE  PBONTJNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

As  an  illustration  of  what  the  Spelling  Reform 
Association  wishes  to  accomplish,  take  the  following  :* 

FONETIC  PRINTING  OV  DHI  AMERICAN 
SPELLING  REFORM  ASSOCIATION. 
" Anudher  objecshun  hwich  haz  censiderabl  influons, 
iz  dhat  a  niu  sistem  wud  ebsciur  dhi  etimoloji  ev 
wOrdz,  hwich  iz   nau   shon   in   meni   cfises   bai   dhi 
speling.    But  az  regardz  dhis,  dhi  etimeloji  ev  wOrdz 
iz  ev  litl  practical  valyu  ecsept  tu  scelarz,  hu   cud 
elwez  get  it  aut  ev  buks  ev  lexicegrafi;   it  iz  net 
worth  hwail  fer  dher  benefit  tu  impoz  a  hevi  bordn 
upen  dhi  world  at  larj.       But  aur  cemun  speling  iz 
em  an   untrustwOrdhi   gaid  tu  etimeloji.      Tek  dhi 
word  sovereign',    dhi  pipl  hu  forst  spelt  it  so  sup- 
pozd  no  daut  dhat  it  had  sumthing  tu  du  widh  reign  : 
but  it  sOrtenli  haz  net.      It  cumz  from  Latin  super ^ 
thru  Italian  sovrano^  etc.     But  ai  wil  go  fordher,  and 
se  dhat  dhi  wents  ev  a  filelojist  recwair  a  diferent 
sistem.      Hwet  iz  impSrtant  fer  him  iz  dhat  hi  shud 
no  dhi  cendishun  ev  a  langgwej  at  eni  givn  piried  ev 
dhi  past,  dhat  hi  me  bl  ebl  tu  trgs  it  thru  its  sucsesiv 
chenjez  tu  its  Igtest  {6rm.     Nau  in  duing  dhis  hi  must 
depend  mgnli  en  dhi  speling  and  dhi  raiting;   if  dhis 
bl  mentend  inveriabl  from  ej  tu  ej  amid  ©1  miuteshunz 
ev  spokn  wOrdz,  dhi  filelojist  iz  depraivd  ev  hiz  most 
sorvisabl  gaid.       Qi  wud   giv  a  gud   dll   tu  get  a 
Fonetic  Niuz  ev  Chaucer'z  taim,dhat  ai  mait  no  hau 
far   sum  important  fenemena  ev  dhi   modern  lang- 
gwej— az,  for    instans,  dhi    chenj   ev  *a'  tu*e,'  ev 
*e'  tu  *l'  and  ev  *l'  tu  'ai' — had  establisht  dhemselvz 
faiv  senchuriz  ago."  Prof.  J.  Hadlky. 

Reformed  Latin  pronunciation,  in  Etymology,  robs 
the  ear  of  the  sound  and  the  Reformed  Spelling  robs 
the  eye  of  sight,  in  tracing  our  own  words. 

♦  The  types  for  this  page  could  not  be  obtained  in  New  York. 
Thanks  are  due  Prof.  F.  A.  March,  LL.  D.,  the  distinguished  Presi- 
dent of  the  Spelling  Reform  Association  in  America,  through  whose 
kindness  the  electrotype  was  prepared. 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


173 


I 


829.  Dr.  Humphreys,  formerly  of  Cambridge,  Eng- 
land, speaks  as  follows  :  \ 

"  As  regards  the  statement  dwelt  upon  by  Professor 
Mayor— of  whom  I  would  speak  with  the  utmost  re- 
spect,  as  well  as  friendship— that  the  reform,  if  carried 
out  thoroughly  in  England  and  America,  will  render 
<  English-speaking  Latinists  intelligible  aU  the  world 
over,'  I  must  emphatically  dissent "  (section  249,  5th).  , 

330.  If  there  should  arise  a  necessity  for  it  in  con- 
Tersation,  the  real  scholar  (no  other  one  can  conyerse 
in  Latin)  can  adopt  the  new  method  at  once.  On  this 
head  consult  the  letter  already  quoted  from  the  head- 
master of  Rugby  School  (section  238). 

331.  In  view  of  what  has  been  said  of  the  Con- 
tinental system  in  chapter  second,  nothing  further 
under  this  head  is  really  necessary.  Those  who  wish 
to  acquaint  themselves  with  the  facts  in  the  case  are 
referred  to  that  chapter.  There  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  plausible  pretext  for  the  so-called  Roman,  that  it 
makes  us  intelligible  throughout  the  world,  is  wholly 
removed  by  the  truth  in  the  premises. 

332.  8.  The  Reformed  Method  involves  a 
Ruinous  Waste  of  Time  in  the  Class-Room.— In 
pronouncing  Latin,  the  English  and  American  mouth 
can  easily  accommodate  itself  to  the  niceties  of  elocu- 
tion, and  can  at  least  give  the  sense  elegantly  with 
kindred  sounds ;  but  it  must  take  years  to  do  this 
with  such  an  artificial  system  as  this  one  has  proved 
itself  to  be  by  the  various  phases  of  it  presented  by  its 
friends,  and  it  will  be  with  most  persons  rough  and 
altogether  foreign  at  last.  Appeal  to  practice,  far 
more  valuable  in  such  a  case  than  abstract  discussion. 
Charles  B.  Scott,  head  master  of  the  famous  St  Pe- 


174       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

tor's  College,  Westminster,  England,  whose  letter  has 
been  given  in» chapter  five,  says  :  "  In  some  [schools], 
no  doubt,  the  change  has  been  more  or  less  success- 
fully made,  but  we  found  the  waste  of  time  involved 
in  correcting  mispronunciation  to  be  fatal.  It  is  hard 
enough  to  teach  the  various  subjects  required  in  the 
hours  which  are  available,  and  if  the  Latin  hours  are 
to  be  spent  in  mere  vocal  exercise,  the  language  can 
never  he  learned  in  the  time,  nor  the  author  studied. 
The  change  has  little  value  for  mere  boys."  But,  say 
the  reformers,  the  system  is  quite  easy ;  the  vowels 
differ  only  in  quantity,  not  in  quality ,  of  sound,  and 
these  sounds  are  quickly  learned  by  the  average  boys  ; 
the  consonants,  with  about  seven  exceptions,  are  like 
the  English.  A  conspectus  of  the  new  system  looks 
very  easy  indeed  ;  but  it  should  be  remembered  that 
these  boys,  to  be  accurate  in  the  "Roman"  in  prac- 
tice, must  revolutionize  their  organs  of  speech  and 
pronounce  the  vowels  and  several  of  the  consonants 
in  a  way  totally  different  from  that  to  which  they 
have  been  accustomed  from  childhood.  Lip-habits, 
like  all  others,  are  changed  with  extreme  diflBculty 
and  after  much  time  has  been  spent.  Even  then 
many  of  our  Latinists,  when  the  test  comes,  may  say 
sibboleth  instead  of  shibboleth. 

In  this  age,  American  and  English  boys  have  no 
time  to  waste  on  foreign  sounds  in  uttering  Latin, 
especially  when  there  is  a  scholarly  pronunciation 
familiar  to  them  already  (sections  245,  249,  352). 

833.  9.  The  stronghold  of  the  reformers  is  the 
assistance  their  system  gives  in  Comparative  Phi- 
lology. When  we  look  at  the  influence  of  the  new 
mode  on  the  English  tongue,  it  is  positively  injurious. 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


175 


as  has  been  already  seen.    Viewed  in  relation  to  the 
languages  of  modern  Europe,  it  does  not  possess  a 
tithe  of  the  value  claimed  for  it  by  its  friends.    What 
are  the  facts  ?    Most  students  in  England  and  Amer- 
ica study  Latin  for  the  culture  it  yields,  and  for  its 
reflex  influence  on  their  native  language,  which  has 
levied  such  immense  contributions  on  the  Latin  with- 
in the  past  fifty  years.     Comparative  philology  is  not 
thought  of  by  the  vast  majority  of  students.     They 
have  no  time  for  it,  and  hence  every  moment  spent  in 
learning  a  system  because  it  is  held  to  be  valuable  m 
this  inviting  field  is  simply  lost  by  nearly  all  English- 
speaking  students.    Of  the  five  hundred  students  in 
Missouri  University,  how  many  will  devote  themselves 
to  philology  ?    Perhaps  not  ten,  perhaps  not  five,  per- 
haps not  two  ;  of  the  sixty  thousand  students  in  the 
colleges  in  the  United  States  and  British  Possessions, 
not  including  Catholic  institutions  whose  statistics  are 
not  at  hand,  how  many  wiU  devote  themselves  to  philo- 
logical research  ?    Take  Harvard  University,  or  Yale, 
or  Michigan,  and  statistics  show  that  comparatively 
few  ever  devote  themselves  directly  to  a  comparison  of 
the  languages  of  the  earth.    Granting  what  is  claimed 
by  the  phonetic  method  in  the  direction  named,  would 
its  advocates  have  our  students  waste  their  time  m 
learning  a  mode  that  will  benefit  not  five  pupils  out 
of  a  hundred  ?    Shall  one  hundred  boys  be  compeUed 
to  sacrifice  their  English  scholarship  and  waste  their 
time  for  a  certain  benefit  that  may  or  may  not  accnie 
to  five  of  their  number  ?    If  any  one  has  a  taste  for 
comparative  philology,  and  the  hard  mode  of  pro- 
nouncing Latin  does  give  aid,  then  let  him  learn  it. 
II  he  is  a  genuine  scholar  he  can  readily  do  it ;  if  he 


176   THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


is  not,  comparative  philology  has  no  attraction  for 
him.  This  plea  of  the  revolutionists,  therefore,  may 
be  plausible,  when  aptly  presented,  but  when  sifted  is 
misleading,  and  really  makes  more  obvious  the  claims 
of  the  old  English  pronunciation,  for  this,  by  uni- 
versal consent,  does  assist  all  in  mastering  their  ver- 
nacular. 

334.  10.  Again,  the  reformation  or  revolution,  if 
carried  out,  would  divorce  us  from  scholarly  com- 
munion with  all  who  were  educated  a  generation  ago. 
Our  own  fathers  could  not  understand  us. 

In  the  words  of  one  of  the  ablest  of  our  educators  : 
"  Certainly,  if  all  American  colleges  and  schools  shall 
be  induced  to  adopt  it,  the  remark  will  apply  to  their 
alumni,  who  will  be  able  to  understand  one  another 
when  speaking  or  reading  Latin ;  but  at  the  same  time 
a  strong  dividing  bar  will  be  thereby  placed  between 
them  and  the  communion  of  scholarship  with  their 
fathers  and  all  the  old-school  Latinists  of  the  coun- 
try, many  of  whom  have  attained  a  solid  fame  which 
the  rising  generation  may  be  proud  to  emulate,  but 
can  hardly  hope  to  surpass." 

335.  In  answer  to  the  truth  here  presented,  that 
the  adoption  of  the  so-called  Eoman  sets  the  scholar- 
ship of  to-day  at  variance  with  that  of  the  generation 
now  passing  away,  the  reformers  reply  : 

"  It  appeals  on  the  one  hand  to  the  laissez-faire 
instinct  that,  in  science,  would  still  explain  the  phe- 
nomena of  heat  by  the  exploded  caloric  theory ;  and 
on  the  other,  to  the  instinct  of  sentimentalism,  which 
deems  it  sacrilege  forsooth  to  abandon  a  pronunciation 
sanctioned  by  the  usage  of  Everett  and  Webster." 

836.  Is  this  reply  true  ?    We  think  not.     The 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


177 


teacher  does  not  call  up  the  caloric  theory  to  explain 
the  phenomena  of  heat,  simply  because  we  rest  now  on 
a  basis  of  scientific  truth.  Just  here  the  new  pro- 
nunciation fails,  for  nobody  knows  how  the  Romans 
pronounced  Latin,  and  we  never  can  know.  We  must 
be  excused,  therefore,  from  displacing  a  system  that 
has  yielded  such  glorious  harvests  of  rich  scholarship 
for  three  hundred  years  for  one  that  is  founded  on 
theory,  not  on  fact ;  one  in  whose  defense  no  two 
champions  agree.  Every  one  of  its  belted  knights 
sees  the  shield  from  his  own  side.  As  to  the  senti- 
mentalism, these  scholars  must  excuse  us  for  follow- 
ing the  footsteps  of  the  intellectual  giants  of  the  past, 
rather  than  joining  them  in  the  Quixotic  expedition 
after  the  unknown  and  impossible. 

337.  11.  The  English  mode  tends  to  make  the 
Latin  a  living  language. 

There  is  too  much  tendency  now  to  make  the 
ancient  languages  dead  languages,  a  kind  of  rare  ac- 
complishment, a  kind  of  outside  affair  that  has  no 
real  practical  value.  The  new  mode,  by  its  oddness 
and  strangeness,  greatly  increases  this  tendency. 

338.  The  student  hears  foreign  sounds  constantly, 
sees  the  Latin  divorced  from  all  direct  beneficial  effect 
upon  his  daily  vocabulary,  and  is  consequently  made 
to  feel  that  his  Latin  is  only  a  relic  of  a  distant  age. 
Nothing  should  be  encouraged  by  scholars  that  will 
make  the  ancient  tongues  api)ear  less  familiar,  less 
practical,  less  vital  than  they  are  now.  Let  the  class 
feel  that  their  Latin  has  a  vital  connection  with  the 
active,  thrilling  scenes  of  this  busy  age.  The  English 
mode  secures  this,  and  does  it  without  trouble  and 
without  loss  of  time.     One  of  New  England's  great 


178       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

teachers  says,  "I  want  nothing  done  to  make  the 
ancient  languages  less  familiar  than  they  now  are, 
less  a  real  part  of  English,  less  what  eyery  English- 
speaking  man  ought  to  be  acquainted  with."  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  new  pronunciation  would  intensify 
the  prejudice  against  the  classic  tongues,  as  studies 
of  little  or  no  practical  value.  The  English  mode,  in 
sound  and  in  etymology,  stamps  the  Latin  with  a 
perpetual  living  interest.  The  "  Koman  "  buries  this 
classic  tongue  beneath  the  rubbish  of  nearly  twenty 
centuries. 

12.  There  is  no  hope  of  inducing  other  nations  to 
adopt  the  so-called  Roman  method.  Here  no  argu- 
ment is  needed. 

13.  Let  attention  be  fixed  on  the  fact  that  the  in- 
troduction of  a  new  pronunciation  would  add  to  the 
difficulties  in  the  early  stages  in  teaching  Latin,  which 
is  one  of  the  most  difficult  tongues  to  master  by  our 
American  youth. 

14.  There  would  seem  to  be  a  painful  incongruity 
in  attempting  to  reform  the  pronunciation  of  Latin 
without  at  the  same  time  reforming  Greek.  The  dif- 
ficulties in  the  way  of  changing  the  prevailing  pro- 
nunciation of  Greek  may  be  regarded  as  insuperable. 

339.  15.  The  preceding  reasons  for  the  use  of 
the  old  English  method  have  proceeded  for  the  mo- 
ment under  the  concession  that  the  claims  of  the 
so-called  Roman  were  to  be  allowed.  Let  it  now  be 
explicitly  understood  that  we  do  not  concede  its 
claims.  No  man  living  can  tell  how  the  Romans 
pronounced  their  language.  The  Romanists  tell  us 
we  must  value  truth  because  it  is  truth,  and  that 
error  is  pernicious  because  it  is  error.     Very  true. 


THE  ENGLISH  SYSTEM. 


179 


V' 


340:  But  what  is  truth  ?    Their  syllogism  is  :  AU 
truth  must  be  valued  and  reduced  to  practice.     The 
so-called  Roman  mode,  as  now  offered,  is  truth  ;  and 
therefore  it  must  be  valued  and  reduced  to  practice. 
We  deny  the  minor  premise  in  Mo.     A  class  could 
not  have  a  finer  specimen  of  a  non-logical  or  material 
fallacy  than  is  furnished  by  the  defenders  of  the  inno- 
vation.    So  far  from  the  system  resting  on  a  basis  of 
truth,  the  want  of  harmony  among  its  supporters  dis- 
credits the  evidence  adduced  in  its  behalf,  and  renders 
uniformity  of  practice  impossible.      "  But  they  are 
going  on  to  perfection,"  say  they.    Very  well.    How  ? 
Is  new  evidence  to  be  dug  up  from  the  phonetic  sepul- 
chres of  the  past  ?    They  do  not  expect  this,  nor  claim 
it   How,  then,  is  harmony  to  be  attained  ?  We  answer 
emphatically  it  must  come,  if  it  come  at  all,  by  con- 
cession, hi  compromise.    Max  Muller  proposes  a  com- 
promise over  c  before  e,  i,  y,  ae,  oe,  and  eu.    A.  J. 
Ellis  proposes  a  compromise  over  v,  as  the  Romance 
nations  can't  say  w.     Others  would  compromise  over 
m,  over  ae  and  oe,  etc.    Then  harmony  is  to  be  gained 
by  each  one  yielding  a  little.     Now  mark  the  result. 
This  compromised  pronunciation  is  a  conventional 
pronunciation,  after  all,  and  the  phonetic  idea,  which 
is  both  body  and  soul  of  the  whole  system,  is  scattered 
to  the  winds.     A  conventional  pronunciation,  based 
on  theory  and  compromise,  in  the  nineteenth  century, 
will  assuredly  not  be  the  pronunciation  of  the  ancient 

Romans. 

341.  In  Missouri  University,  for  reasons,  some  of 
which  have  been  given,  the  English  system  is  care- 
fully taught  and  rigidly  followed  in  the  class-room ; 
at  the  same  time,  the  advanced  classes  receive  the 


180       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 


most  accurate  training  practicable,  as  the  system  now 
stands,  in  the  so-called  Roman  method,  for  whatever 
value  it  may  have  in  philological  research, 

842.  Some  enthusiastic  friends  of  the  new  method 
have  expressed  surprise  that  a  man  of  middle  age 
should  cling  to  an  old-fashioned  pronunciation.  In 
reply,  allow  me  to  say  that  there  is  no  reason  in  logic, 
nor  "in  the  eternal  fitness  of  things,"  why  any  man 
should  sacrifice  his  experience  and  judgment  and  the 
rich  experience  of  centuries  to  any  new  thing,  unless 
it  be  founded  in  stubborn  facts  and  indisputable  truth. 

343.  Whatever  mode  is  used,  let  there  be  constant, 
strict,  and  conscientious  attention  paid  to  quantity. 
Quantity  marks  the  scholar.  There  can  be  no  genuine 
Latin  and  Greek  scholarship  without  it. 

344.  The  condition  to  which  the  mind  is  irresisti- 
bly forced  in  the  review  of  the  whole  case  is,  that 
every  known  system  of  pronunciation  is  merely  con- 
ventional, and  that  no  method  is  warranted  in  putting 
forth  exclusive  claims  to  recognition. 

Note.—"  The  university  has  adopted  the  following  system  of 
pronunciation  [the  Roman],  based  upon  the  investigations  of  Cors- 
sen  and  other  eminent  philologists,  and  now  employed  in  its  essen- 
tial features  in  the  universities  and  leading  schools  of  England,  and 
in  Harvard,  Cornell,  and  other  institutions  of  this  country,  as  being 
proved  beyond  question  a  close  approximation  to  the  Roman  pronun- 
ciation in  the  time  of  Cicero." 

The  quotation  just  given  is  found  on  page  23  of  the  Catalogue 
of  the  University  of  Michigan  for  1878-"7».  It  has  been  repeated 
for  several  years.  In  view  of  the  state  of  fact  in  England  in  regard 
to  pronunciation,  the  quotation  contains  a  statement  not  a  little  sur- 
prising. For  answer  to  the  whole  paragraph,  reference  may  be  made 
to  the  letters  from  England,  in  this  work,  and  also  to  the  want  of 
harmony  among  Roman  Latinists,  as  already  shown.  The  Roman 
mode  is  practically  dead  in  England. 


CHAPTER  X, 


ALLEN  ON  THE   "  ROMAN"  MODE. 

860.  Mr.  J.  H.  Allen  (Allen  and  GreenougVs 
books  are  well  known  as  among  the  best  ever  pub- 
lished in  America)  was  the  first  scholar  who  ever  em- 
ployed the  phrase  ''  Roman  method,"  and  his  "  Gram- 
mar "  contains  a  very  clear  exhibit  of  what  he  prefers 
to  call  the  *' phonetic"  mode.    In  an  able  article  in 
the  "  New  Englaud  Journal "  for  December  30,  1880, 
Mr.  Allen  gives  expression  to  his  skepticism  in  regard 
to  the  new  mode,  and  at  least  intimates  a  fear  that 
"we  are  losing  something  of  the  substance  in  catching 
at  a  very  empty  shadow:'  It  is  but  just  to  this  scholar, 
and  also  to  the  question  in  hand,  that  he  be  allowed 
to  speak  for  himself.    This  and  the  reply  to  it  are 
among  the  very  latest  utterances  on  the  subject  to  be 
found  anywhere.     Perhaps  Mr.  Allen's  article  may 
be  the  unerring  arrow  that  struck  the  fatal  tendon 
of  Achilles. 

MR.    ALLEN'S    "QUERY." 

361.  "  I  wish  to  raise  a  question  as  to  a  tendency, 
of  late  years,  in  the  teaching  and  learning  of  Latin. 
If  it  is  worth  while  to  keep  up  the  study  of  that  lan- 
guage at  all,  in  our  higher  schools— which  we  need 
not  dispute  at  present— then,  no  doubt,  it  should  be 


182       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

studied  for  its  literary  and  historical  uses  mainly,  and 
not  for  a  few  beggarly  elements  of  antiquarianism  and 
scientific  philology.  To  many  a  bright  pupil,  Virgil 
and  Ovid  are,  or  may  be,  the  first  introduction  to  the 
delights  of  poetry  ;  and  the  first  wakening  of  a  gen- 
uine historic  sense  will  be  got  from  reading  Caesar  or 
Cicero  in  their  own  tongue.  But  one  can  not  begin 
in  that  way,  or  at  that  age,  to  be  a  learned  grammarian 
or  philologist.  And  I  am  afraid  we  are  losing  some- 
thing of  the  substance  in  catching  at  a  yery  empty 
shadow.  I  am  too  ignorant  to  dogmatize.  I  only 
doubt. 

352.  "  In  the  first  place,  is  not  an  enormous  dis- 
proportion of  time  given  to  the  matter  of  pronun- 
ciation ?  In  this  I  may  have  something  myself  to 
answer  for.  So  far  as  I  know,  I  was  the  first  person 
that  ever  wrote  the  phrase,  'Roman  method,'*  to 
denote  a  certain  style  of  pronouncing,  to  be  taught  in 
an  elementary  text-book,  without  the  smallest  sus- 
picion of  the  noisy  and  troublesome  revolution  im- 
pending in  our  parts  of  speech.  Since  then  I  have 
come  to  prefer  and  use  the  term  'phonetic'  Now 
this  method  is  no  doubt  very  valuable  as  a  help  to 
leam  the  language  in  its  elements,  and  in  tracing  its 
phonetic  changes.  It  is  far  easier,  for  instance^  to 
explain  cecini  from  cano,  with  a  hard  c,  than  a  soft 
one.  But,  as  a  method  of  pronunciation  for  practical 
use,  I  do  not  believe  it  is  worth  one  tenth  of  the 
trouble,  irritation,  and  ridicule  it  has  cost,  even  if 
the  end  could  be  attained,  and  if  that  end  were  de- 
sirable.    There  may  be  reckoned,  at  any  time,  a  com- 


ALLEN'S  "QUERY.*' 


183 


*  **  I  bad  it  from  Professor  Lane." 


munity  of  (say)  half  a  million  educated  persons  in  this 
country  who  have  a  fair  acquaintance  with  at  least  the 
easier  Latin  authors,  and  a  good  many  more  to  whom 
the  current  Latin  phrases  are  reasonably  familiar. 
What  breaks  (so  to  speak)  the  literary  tradition,  what 
makes  Latin  more  distant  and  strange  to  the  educated 
class,  is  an  evil  far  greater  than  any  good  from  an  im- 
aginary accuracy  in  reaching  the  standard  of  a  true 
*  Roman '  pronunciation. 

363.  ''Besides,  I  doubt  whether  we  are  likely  to 
come  any  nearer  to  such  a  standard  than  what  would 
make  our  reading  of  Latin  a  barbarous  and  painful 
travesty  to  a  Roman  ear— something  like  the  average 
grammar-school  French  to  a  Parisian.  What  that  is 
we  may  guess,  perhaps,  from  the  specimen  Mr.  Hamer- 
ton  gives  of  the  reading  of  English  by  a  tramed  and 
accomplished  Frenchman : 

"  *  At  ev  ze  bittle  bommess 
Azvart  ze  zeeket  Ion  ; 
At  none  ze  veeld  be  ommess 
Aboot  ze  most  edston,' 

in  which  one  finds  it  hard  to  recognize  the  delicate 
music  of  Tennyson : 

"  *  At  eve  the  beetle  boometh 
Athwart  the  thicket  lone ; 
At  noon  the  wild  bee  hammeth 
About  the  mossed  headstone.* 

364.  "Any  one  who  has  given  a  little  study  to 
Ellis's  'Quantitative  Pronunciation  of  Latin'  will 
Bee  that  the  above  hardly  exaggerates  the  probable 
success  of  our  effort  to  inculcate  the  Roman  pronun- 
ciation in  our  schools.    It  has  its  uses,  as  I  said  above ; 


\ 


184       THE  THREE  PROmiNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

but  we  need  not  flatter  ourselves  that  successful  imi- 
tation is  one  of  them.  Personally,  I  have  a  strong 
predilection  for  the  Italian  sound  of  the  vowels  in 
reading  Latin.  About  the  *  Koman '  pronunciation 
of  several  of  the  consonants — especially  c,  g,  and  v,  aa 
to  which  the  usage  of  every  tongue  derived  from  Latin 
might  suggest  a  query — I  am  rather  skeptical.  Who 
knows  how  the  Romans  pronounced  gn,  sc,  or  the 
initial  y  ?  And,  considering  the  value  of  easily  recog- 
nizing bg  the  ear  the  English  derivations  from  Latin, 
it  seems  not  very  unlikely  that,  practically,  Donald- 
son's curt  rule  may  prove  the  best,  after  all — to  read  a 
Latm  sentence  just  as  if  the  words  were  English,  only 
observing  the  rules  of  accent,  and  bearing  in  mind 
that  there  are  no  silent  letters.  At  any  rate,  this 
would  be  better  than  the  case  I  have  heard  of,  where, 
in  a  popular  address,  the  phrase  vice  versa  was  pro- 
nounced in  a  way  that  the  average  hearer  must  have 
taken  for  *  Weaky — 'ware,  sir  I '  as  if  the  platform 
were  breaking  down  under  him.     Perhaps  it  was. 

855.  "Another  question  occurs  as  to  some  of  the 
later  fashions  in  orthography.  We  are  going  through 
an  uncomfortable  transition  stage,  and  it  is  a  seriouQ 
question  how  to  lighten  the  inconvenience  of  it  to  the 
learner.  Certain  simplifications,  as  cetcriy  femina, 
there  can  be  no  objection  to,  perhaps ;  and  a  few  rec- 
tifications, as  coBlum,  condicio,  contio,  we  need  not 
quarrel  with  if  they  are  rectifications.  But  why 
change  the  familiar,  almost  English,  humerus  and 
arena  into  umerus  and  harena  9  As  any  editor  of  a 
modem  text-book  knows,  these  supposed  corrections 
have  resulted,  so  far,  in  a  chaos  of  usage,  in  which 
I  have  never  found  any  two  'critical'  editors  alike. 


ALLEN'S  "QUERY." 


185 


The  real  grievance  is,  that  some  of  these  modem  im- 
provements add  appreciably,  if  not  seriously,  to  the 
difiBculty  of  the  language  to  the  ordinary  reader. 
Now,  Latin  is  a  hard  language  at  best — ^harder,  I  fear, 
than  many  of  our  teachers  understand.  Whatever 
adds  to  its  difficulty  should  be  sharply  challenged. 
Whatever  destroys  or  disguises  forms  in  spelling  that 
give  an  easy  clew  to  its  structure,  or  even  alters  a 
recognized  and  familiar  conventional  form,  is  to  be 
looked  upon  as  a  prima  facie  enemy  to  our  learning, 
and  admitted  only  on  sad  compulsion — ^not  caught  at 
hastily,  as  some  do,  as  the  last  new  *  dodge'  or 
*  wrinkle.' 

856.  **  For  example,  it  was  an  evil  day  to  our  schol- 
arship when,  with  our  absurd  deference  to  German  cus- 
tom, we  lost  the  distinguishing  mark  of  the  ablative 
in  a,  and  of  cum  *when.'  It  was  awkward  and  pov- 
erty-stricken to  abolish  j  and  use  i  instead  ;  no  less 
so  to  abjure  the  convenient  *  digraphs,'  so  that  one 
must  learn  by  act  of  memory  that  coemi  has  three 
syllables  and  coepi  only  two,  while  nobody  can  tell 
from  the  looks  of  it  whether  acre  is  'brass'  or  *air.' 
It  was  still  worse  when,  on  a  theory  of  Ciceronian 
usage,  we  dispensed  with  the  double  i  of  the  genitive. 
Is  it  likely  that  Cicero,  even,  did  not  distinguish  in 
some  way  the  genitive  of  arhitrium  from  that  of  ar- 
liter,  or  that  ol  judicium  from  the  dative  of  judex  f 
Of  course  he  did  ;  if  not  by  doubling  the  letter,  as  we 
do,  then  perhaps  by  lengthening  it,  as  the  Italians  do, 
who  from  tempo  make  tempi,  and  from  tempio,  tempj, 

857.  "  Or  shall  we,  on  Milton's  authority — which 
is  perhaps  as  good  as  Cicero's — go  back  to  'suttle 
theefe'  ?     A  still  worse  offense  is  in  dropping  the 


186       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

most  characteristic  letter  in  the  compounds  oijacio. 
Having  carefully  instructed  our  pupil  in  the  rule  of 
vowel-attenuation,  and  that  facere  thereby  becomes 
conficere,  we  then — just  because  the  German  fonts 
appear,  in  their  poverty,  not  to  supply  the  letter/ — 
proceed  to  turn  jacere  into  conicereM  the  bewilder- 
ment  of  the  pupil,  the  violation  of  prosodic  rule,  and 
the  certain  confusion  with  iccre,  *  to  hit,'  and  against 
the  protest,  too,  of  the  later  Romans  themselves — like 
Aulus  Gellius,  for  instance,  whose  judgment  and  ar- 
gument are  cited  by  Mayor,  in  his  new  critical  edition 
of  *  De  Naturd  Deorum,'  which  very  sensibly  restores 
they. 

358.  ''Mere  orthographical  niceties,  in  the  school- 
room, are  foreign  to  the  true  end  and  aim  of  educa- 
tion. They  give  us  a  pitiful  little  dose  of  antiquarian 
information  ;  they  sacrifice  ten  times  as  much  of  what 
makes  the  language  somewhat  more  easy,  familiar,  and 
homelike.  If  the  study  of  Latin  deserves  to  be  kept 
up  in  our  schools,  it  must  be  for  its  real  uses,  not  for 
its  petty  philologisms.  It  is  not  simply  the  tongue  in 
which  to  read  a  few  great  authors  of  a  certain  period, 
as  they  wrote  or  spoke  ;  still  less  the  tongue  to  drill  in 
for  a  few  phonetic  changes  and  syntactic  rules.  It  is 
eminently  the  language  of  history,  of  all  civilization 
and  philosophy  for  a  term  of  a  thousand  years,  of 
half  the  nomenclature  of  modem  science.  No  scholar 
knows  when  and  where  a  reasonable  facility  in  it  may 
not  be  of  use  to  him.  The  body  of  Latin  literature — 
post-classical— right  at  hand,  from  which  I  have  to 
draw  constantly  in  my  own  line  of  instruction,  may 
be  put  at  something  like  two  hundred  thousand  folio 
or  royal  octavo  pages,  besides  about  as  much  more 


ALLEITS  "QUERY." 


187 


outlying  material,  including  scholastic  and  modem 
theology.  Dr.  Jacob  Bigelow,  who  did  so  much  to 
define  the  'Limits  of  Education,'  and  to  promote 
modern  scientific  methods,  was  especially  urgent  in 
setting  forth  the  practical  claims  of  Latin.  Surely 
the  best  knowledge  of  it  the  average  leamer  can 
get  is  not  what  shows  its  philological  niceties,  but 
what  puts  its  real  treasures  at  his  command  on  the 
easiest  terms.  There  need  be  no  quarrel  with  the 
nicer  criticism.  There  need  be  no  hesitation  in  ac- 
cepting its  results,  when  definitely  agreed  on.  But 
our  first  business  is  to  get  at  an  understanding  of  the 
language  as  it  actually  is  in  the  books  we  read.  The 
finer  points  can  afford  to  wait.  J.  H.  Allen." 

359.  Professor  Tetlow,  of  Boston,  a  very  accurate 
scholar,  and  a  very  judicious  defender  of  the  phonetic 
mode,  read  Mr.  Allen's  ^'protest'*  with  regret,  feared 
its  effect  if  unanswered,  and  replied  in  the  "New 
England  Journal "  of  January  20,  1881,  as  follows : 

"MR.  ALLEN^S  QUERY." 

360.  "  I  have  read  with  regret  Mr.  J.  H.  Allen's 
protest  (published  in  the  'Journal'  of  December 
30th)  against  recent  reforms  in  Latin  pronunciation 
and  orthography.  As  such  a  protest,  from  such  a 
source,  may,  if  left  unanswered,  work  mischief,  I  beg 
leave  to  append  a  few  comments  suggested  by  it. 

361.  " '  In  the  first  place,'  asks  Mr.  Allen,  'is  not 
an  enormous  disproportion  of  time  given  to  the  matter 
of  pronunciation  ? '  If  this  question  has  reference  to 
the  practice  of  the  class-rooms  in  which  the  phonetic 
method  of  pronouncing  Latin  is  used,  I  answer  un- 
hesitatingly, No.   This  method  of  pronunciation,  when 


188       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OP  LATIN. 

rightly  taught  and  used  in  the  class-room,  not  only 
involves  no  loss,  but  secures  a  gain,  of  time.  It  enables 
the  teacher,  when  his  pupils  enter  upon  the  study  of 
Latin  poetry,  to  dispense  with  the  arbitrary  rules  of 
prosody,  which  the  use  of  the  English  method  renders 
necessary.  For  when  the  pupil  is  prepared  to  begin 
the  '^neid'  or  the  'Metamorphoses,'  he  has  already 
learned  by  observation  and  practice — in  other  words, 
has  established  inductively — the  quantity  of  the  vow- 
els, not  only  in  the  final  and  penultimate  syllables 
which  the  rules  provide  for,  but  in  the  stem  and  root- 
syllables  also,  of  a  respectable  number  of  vocables. 
With  a  little  instruction  in  the  theory  of  the  verse,  he 
is  prepared  to  begin  rhythmical  reading  at  once. 

862.  **  I  am  aware  that  many  advocates  of  the 
English  method  recognize  the  importance  of  the  ob- 
servance of  quantity,  and  maintain  that  the  use  of 
this  method  does  not  necessitate  the  violation  of  it ; 
but  I  think  all  teachers  will  admit  that  the  diflBculty 
of  holding  the  pupil  to  the  observance  of  English 
analogies  in  the  pronunciation  of  Latin,  and  of  hold- 
ing him  at  the  same  time  to  the  observance  of  quan- 
tity, is  practically  insurmountable.  If,  however,  the 
Latin  names  of  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  are  taught 
to  a  class  beginning  Latin — and  this,  in  my  judgment, 
should  be  the  first  step  in  the  introduction  of  the  class 
to  the  use  of  the  phonetic  method — the  pupil  learns 
at  the  outset  that  each  of  the  vowels  has  two  names, 
the  one  designating  its  long  sound,  the  other  its  short 
sound.  He  learns,  also,  that  these  names  are  identical 
as  to  quality  of  sound,  but  that  they  differ  in  quantity. 
If,  from  this  time  forward,  whenever  he  is  called  upon 
to  spell  a  Latin  word  orally,  he  is  required  to  use  the 


TETLOW»S  REPLY  TO  ALLEN^S  "QUERY."        189 

Latin  names  of  the  letters,  pronouncing  long  a  '  ah,' 
and  short  a  'ah,'  etc.  ;  and  if,  in  his  written  exercises, 
he  is  required  to  mark  the  long  vowels,  he  gradually, 
without  conscious  effort,  masters  the  quantity  of  the 
Latin  vowels  as  he  masters  the  vocables  themselves. 
He  thus  takes  his  first  lesson  in  prosody  when  he  takes 
his  first  lesson  in  the  language ;  and  takes  a  new  lesson 
in  prosody  with  every  word  that  he  adds  to  his  vocabu- 
lary.    By  this  process  his  ear  becomes  quickly  appre- 
ciative of  quantitative  distinctions,  and  he  obeys  the 
rules  of  prosody  without  knowing  that  such  rules 
have  ever  been  formulated.     The  use  of  the  phonetic 
method  of  pronouncing  Latin,  therefore,  by  doing 
away  with  the  rules  of  prosody,  results  not  in  a  loss, 
but  in  a  gain,  of  time ;  and,  further,  by  enforcing 
the  observance  of  quantity  from  the  beginning,  it 
trains  the  pupil,  by  a  method  that  is  both  simple 
and  consistent  with  itself,  to  a  correct  quantitative 
pronunciation. 

363.  "  But  perhaps  Mr.  Allen's  query  relates,  not 
to  the  practice  of  the  class-room,  but  to  the  discussions 
that  have  prevailed  for  some  years  among  Latinists. 
It  is  true  that,  of  late  years,  Latin  scholars  have  been 
giving  a  disproportionate  amount  of  attention  to  mat- 
ters of  pronunciation.  This  is  because  they  are  now 
occupied  in  clearing  away  the  accumulated  errors  of 
centuries  ;  and  because,  while  prosecuting  this  work, 
they  have  to  encounter  the  obstinate  prejudices  of 
those  who  cling  to  the  usages  of  preceding  genera- 
tions. In  other  words,  it  is  because  this  is  an  age  of 
transition.  There  was  a  time  when  the  physicists  de- 
voted a  disproportionate  amount  of  experiment  and 
argument  to  the  establishment  of  the  now-generally- 


190       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

accepted  theory  that  heat  is  a  mode  of  motion  ;  and, 
until  the  force  of  evidence  and  of  respectable  author- 
ity became  irresistible,  there  were  many  who,  clinging 
tenaciously  to  the  caloric  theory,  regretted  that  the 
scientific  theorists  were  multiplying  the  difficulties  of 
the  learner,  and  overtuming  the  established  modes  of 
interpreting  the  action  of  physical  forces.  I  shall  not 
soon  forget  my  feeling  of  indignation  when  I  discov- 
ered, on  leaving  college,  that  I  had  been  taught  the 
caloric  theory  of  heat,  by  one  of  these  conservative 
physicists,  about  five  years  after  it  had  been  exploded. 
I  venture  to  say  that  there  are  at  present  many  college- 
lege-bred  men  in  middle  life  who,  having  given  no  spe- 
cial attention  to  chemical  theories  since  graduation,  are 
still  puzzled  to  understand  why  the  symbol  for  water 
is  no  longer  HO,  os  it  used  to  be.  When  the  accu- 
mulated rubbish  of  centuries  has  been  cleared  away, 
and  the  obstructionists  have  ceased  to  persist  in  futile 
obstruction,  Latin  pronunciation  will  be  a  very  simple 
matter. 

364.  "The  facts  once  established  and  accepted, 
Latin  pronunciation,  as  a  topic  for  disputatious  argu- 
ment, will  be  relegated  to  its  appropriate  subordinate 
place ;  and  its  refinements  may  then  be  left  where, 
in  ordinary  times,  they  belong  — to  specialists  and 
pedants.  For  the  present,  we  must  still  be  willing,  on 
occasion,  to  talk  and  write  about  it. 

365.  "  Mr.  Allen  is  skeptical  about  the  '  Eoman '  * 

♦  Professor  Lane,  from  whom  Mr.  Allen  says,  in  a  foot-note,  that 
he  borrowed  the  term  "  Roman  method,"  would  little  fancy  being 
made  responsible  for  this  expression.  His  friends  know  that  he  has 
always  earnestly  protested  against  it  as  a  "gross  misnomer  and  bar- 
barism.** 


TETLOW'S  REPLY  TO  ALLEYS  "QUERY."        191 

pronunciation  of  c,  g,  and  v.    In  a  series  of  articles 
published  in  the  '  Journal '  about  two  years  ago,  I  en- 
deavored to  make  clear  the  evidence  on  which  the 
accepted  pronunciation  of  these  letters  rests,  and  will 
not  here  repeat  the  familiar  arguments.     I  think  the 
pronunciation  of  which  Mr.  Allen  is  skeptical  has 
been  satisfactorily  made  out ;  but,  assuming  that  it 
has  not,  Ritschrs  query  is  nevertheless  pertinent. 
<  Suppose,'  he  says,  *  we  are  not  sure  of  one  or  two 
sounds,  is  that  any  reason  why  we  should  pronounce 
all  in  a  way  we  know  to  be  entschieden  grundfalschf 
366.  "  Mr.  Allen  doubts  whether  we  are  likely  to 
come  any  nearer  to  the  standard  of  a  true  Roman  pro- 
nunciation *  than  what  would  make  our  reading  of  Lat- 
in  a  barbarous  and  painful  travesty  to  a  Roman  ear' ; 
and  quotes,  in  illustration  of  the  degree  of  approxi- 
mation he  thinks  we  have  attained,  Mr.  Hamerton's 
specimen  of  a  Frenchman's  reading  of  Tennyson's 
*  Claribel. '    So  far  aa  I  am  aware,  I  was  the  first  to  bor- 
row Hamerton's  illustration,  in  discussing  the  claims 
of  the  so-called  Roman  method  of  pronunciation.     I 
used  it  to  show  the  absurdity  of  reading  Latin  with 
the  English  pronunciation  ;  and  the  illustration  as  I 
used  it  presented,  as  I  think,  a  perfect  parallel.     Pro- 
fessor Fisher,  in  the  second  edition  of  his  *  Three 
Pronunciations  of  Latin,'  replying  to  the  strictures  I 
had  made  on  the  arguments  employed  in  his  first  edi- 
tion, seized  upon  this  illustration,  and  ingeniously 
used  it  in  a  flank  movement  against  the  argument  it 
was  intended  to  support.     A  careful  comparison  of 
the  genuine  and  travestied  forms,  however,  in  the 
stanza  used  by  Mr.  Allen,  will  show  that  this  illus- 
tration of  Hamerton's  exhibits  the  absurdity,  not  of 


192       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OP  LATIN. 

the  so-called  Roman  method  of  pronunciation,  but  of 
the  English.  The  Frenchman  pronounced  *  eve '  ev 
(i.  e.,  as  if  written  in  French  eve) ;  he  pronounced  '  the ' 
ze ;  *  beetle/  bittle  ;  'boometh,'  bommess  ;  'athwart,' 
azvarty  etc.  That  is,  to  the  English  vowels  and  con- 
sonants he  gave  the  sounds  of  French  vowels  and  con- 
sonants, that  are  pronounced  with  the  vocal  organs 
placed  in  entirely  different  positions  from  those  used 
in  the  pronunciation  of  the  English  vowels  and  conso- 
nants he  supposed  himself  to  be  reproducing.  The 
sonant  th  of  '  the '  he  called  z,  the  surd  th  of  *  boom- 
eth '  he  called  ss,  the  w  of  '  athwart '  he  called  v,  etc. 
In  like  manner,  those  who  use  the  English  pronun- 
ciation give  to  the  i  and  u  of  pllum  the  sound  of  i  in 
tide  and  of  u  in  sun  respectively ;  to  /  in  certain  situ- 
ations they  give  the  sound  of  sh,  to  c  the  sound  of  5, 
to  g  the  sound  of  j,  etc.  In  pronouncing  Latin  they 
follow  the  analogies  of  their  own  tongue,  precisely  as 
the  Frenchman  in  reading  English  followed  the  analo- 
gies of  his.  Does  Mr.  Allen  candidly  think  that  the 
so-called  Roman  method  furnishes  no  nearer  approxi- 
mation to  the  true  standard  than  this  ? 

367.  "  From  pronunciation  Mr.  Allen  passes  to  the 
consideration  of  'later  fashions  of  orthography.'  To 
stigmatize  as  '  later  fashions  in  orthography '  the  cor- 
rect Latin  forms  that  have  been  restored  in  obedience 
to  the  express  testimony  of  the  ancients,  or  in  con- 
formity with  the  results  of  a  laborious  study  of  manu- 
scripts and  a  painstaking  comparison  of  inscriptions, 
seems  to  me  a  palpable  misapplication  of  terms. 

368.  "  '  Any  editor  of  a  modem  text-book  knows,* 
says  Mr.  Allen,  *  that  these  supposed  corrections  have 
resulted  in  a  chaos  of  usage.'    Mr.  Allen  has  had  a 


TETLOWS  REPLY  TO  ALLEN'S  "QUERY."        193 

wide  experience  in  editing  modem  text-books,  and 
may  have  been  subjected  to  greater  inconvenience 
than  I  am  aware  of.  I  have  not  found,  however,  in 
good  editions,  a  '  chaos  of  usage '  in  cases  where  the 
universal  testimony  of  inscriptions  and  of  manuscripts 
beyond  a  certain  age  proves  that  there  is  only  one 
right  way.  But  when  a  pupil,  with  inherited  preju- 
dices in  favor  of  Mr.  Allen's  principles,  brings  into 
my  class-room  the  same  Cooper's  'Virgil'  that  her 
father  used  in  his  preparatory  studies,  and  reads  a 
few  verses  aloud— the  rest  of  us  following  with  Allen 
and  Greenough's  text — the  disagreement,  I  confess, 
approximates  the  chaotic.  I  have  always  held  Cooper 
accountable  for  the  'chaos' ;  it  seems  Mr.  Allen  would 
have  it  charged  to  himself  and  Mr.  Greenough. 

369.  "Mr.  Allen  is  writing  for  teachers,  and  he 
tells  them  that  '  Latin  is  a  hard  language,'  '  harder, 
he  fears,  than  many  of  them  understand.'     'It  is  a 
serious  question,'  he  says,  '  how  to  lighten  the  incon- 
venience' of  the  transition  stage  'to  the  leamer.' 
Does  Mr.  Allen  think  that  the  restored  orthography, 
which  he  finds  so  troublesome,  is  the  occasion  of  any 
embarrassment  to  the  learner  f    To  the  leamer,  who 
enters  upon  the  study  of  the  language  with  no  pre- 
conceived notions,  and  therefore  with  the  advantage 
of  having  nothing  to  unleam,  the  correct  forms  are  as 
simple  as  the  incorrect.     Any  sympathy  expended  on 
him  in  this  matter  is  wasted.     But,  assuming  for  the 
sake  of  argument  that  the  restored  forms  do  present 
greater  difficulties  to  the  leamer  than  the  mediaeval 
forms  which  they  displace,  what  has  that  to  do  with 
the  matter  ?    We  are  striving  to  acquaint  our  pupils 
with  ancient,  not  mediaeval,  Latin  ;  to  this  end,  we 


f 


194   THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

profess  to  put  before  them,  for  study  and  imitation, 
models  of  pure  Latinity.  Are  we  or  they  to  shrink 
from  difficulties  ?  It  is  a  question  of  right  and  wrong, 
of  truth  and  error ;  it  is  in  no  sense  a  question  of  ease 
and  difficulty.  If  Mr.  Allen  thinks  that  in  following 
our  convictions  we  are  simply  catching  at  *  the  last 
new  "  dodge  "  or  '*  wrinkle," '  he  is  welcome  to  his 
opinion. 

370.  "  Mr.  Allen  says,  *  It  was  an  evil  day  to  our 
scholarship  when  we  lost  the  distinguishing  mark  of 
the  ablative  in  a.'  He  is  here  referring  evidently  to 
the  use  of  the  circumflex  accent,  which  appears  in  his 
article  in  the  expression  primd  facie.  As  Mr.  Allen 
is  the  author  of  a  Latin  grammar,  he  has  presumably 
given  some  attention  to  the  ancient  grammarians. 
He  must  be  aware,  therefore,  that  the  circumflex 
accent  was  used  by  the  ancients  solely  to  mark  the 
rising,  followed  by  the  falling,  tone  ;  and  that,  except 
in  the  case  of  monosyllables  and  a  few  such  words  as 
prodilc  for  prodUce,  illic  for  illice,  etc.,  it  was  never 
employed  on  final  syllables.  If  Mr.  Allen  recommends 
the  use  of  the  circumflex  accent  in  Latin  for  a  purpose 
totally  different  from  that  for  which  the  ancients  used 
it,  and  insists  on  placing  it  over  a  syllable  from  which 
the  principles  of  Latin  accentuation  excluded  it,  does 
he  think  he  is  working  in  the  direction  of  simplicity, 
and  lightening  the  labors  of  the  learner  ?  On  the 
contrary,  he  is  introducing  confusion,  and  inculcating 
error ;  and  is  making  Latin  '  harder,  I  fear,  than  many 
of  our  teachers  understand.' 

371.  "  In  objecting  to  the  substitution  of  a  smgle 
i  for  two  I's  in  the  genitive  of  such  words  as  arhitrium 
and  indicium f  Mr»  Allen  says :  *  Is  it  likely  that  Cice- 


4 


1 


TETLOWS  REPLY  TO  ALLEN'S  "QUERY."        195 

ro  did  not  distinguish  in  some  way  the  genitive  of 
arhitrium  from  that  of  arbiter ,  or  that  of  judicium 
from  the  dative  of  judex  f    Of  course  he  did ;  if  not 
by  doubling  the   letter  as  we  do,  then  perhaps  by 
lengthening  it,  as  the  Italians  do,  who  from  tempo 
make  tempi,  and  from  tempio,  tempj.'    What  does 
Mr.  Allen  mean  by  all  this  ?    Does  he  not  know  that 
the  genitives  of  arhitrium  and  iudicium  are  arhi'tri 
and  iudi'ci,  and  that  the  genitive  of  arhiter  and  the 
dative  of  iudex  are  ar'hitri  and  iu'dici  ;  and  that,  for 
the  ear,  at  least,  any  further  distinction  was  super- 
fluous ?    His  own  Grammar  (page  17,  foot-note)  is 
authority  for  the  retention  of  the  original  place  of 
accent  in  these  contracted  genitives ;   and  on  this 
point  his  Grammar  is  supported  by  Priscian  and  Aulus 
Gellius,  as  well  as  by  the  analogous  retention  of  an 
originsJ  accent  in  such  words  as  prodilc,  for  produce, 
illic  for  illice,  etc.     Or  does  he  mean  that  Cicero  felt 
the  need  of  an  additional  distinction  for  the  eye,  and 
made  this  distinction,  '  if  not  by  doubling  the  letter 
as  we  do,  by  lengthening  it '  ?    If  this  is  what  Mr. 
Allen  means,  are  we  to  infer  that  he  supposes  the 
final  i  in  the  genitive  of  arhiter  and  the  dative  of 
iudex  to  be  short  ? 

372.  "  On  the  substitution  of  i  for  j,  Mr.  Allen 
remarks,  'Just  because  the  German  fonts  appear  not 
to  supply  the  letter  y,  we  proceed  to  turn  jacere  into 
conicere,  to  the  bewilderment  of  the  pupil,  the  viola- 
tion of  prosodic  rule,  and  the  certain  confusion  with 
icere,  "to  hit".'  As  to  the  claim  of  the  letter  j  to 
appear  in  Latin  texts,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  remark 
that  this  letter  was  invented  and  introduced  into  use 
by  the  Dutch  printers,  no  longer  ago  than  the  seven- 


i 


196       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

teenth  century.  As  to  tlie  poverty  of  the  German 
fonts,  does  Mr.  Allen  attribute  to  this  poverty  the  ex- 
clusion of  the  letter  y  from  Munro's  text  ?  Mr.  Allen 
fears  that  conicere  will  bewilder  the  pupil,  and  result 
in  a  confusion  with  icere,  'to  hit.'  While  strongly 
Insisting  that  the  bewilderment  of  the  pupil,  whether 
real  or  fancied,  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  correctness 
or  incorrectness  of  a  Latin  form,  I  may  remind  Mr. 
Allen  that,  as  there  is  no  compound  in  the  Latin  lan- 
guage of  icerey  *  to  hit,'  with  con,  this  bewilderment 
of  the  pupil  is  purely  a  figment  of  his  imagination. 
But,  if  the  restorers  of  Latin  orthography  are  cen- 
surable for  concealing  from  the  pupil  the  etymology 
of  the  compounds  of  iacio,  what  shall  we  say  of  Virgil 
and  Lucretius,  who  make  reice  (Virg.  E.  3,  96)  and 
eidt  (Luct.  3,  877 ;  4,  1,272)  dissyllables  ?  Again, 
what  violation  of  prosodic  rule  does  Mr.  Allen  detect 
in  conicere  f    I  recognize  none. 

373.  "But  I  have  consumed  too  much  space  in 
commenting  on  Mr.  Allen's  strictures.  My  apology 
for  doing  so  must  be  my  regret  that  the  senior  editor 
of  a  series  of  text-books  that  have  contributed  in  no 
slight  degree  to  awaken  and  strengthen,  in  the  teach- 
ers of  secondary  schools,  an  interest  in  Latin  ortho- 
graphic reforms,  should  have  publicly  assumed  the 
position  now  taken  by  Mr.  Allen. 

374.  **  In  conclusion,  I  desire  to  refer  such  teach- 
ers as  may  have  read  with  approval  Mr.  Allen's 
'  Query,'  to  Munro's  *  Introduction  to  Notes  I '  (pp. 
30-32),  in  the  third  edition  of  his  '  Lucretius '  (Cam- 
bridge :  Deighton,  BeU  k  Co.,  1873).  They  will  there 
find  a  brief  history  of  the  'conventional'  spelling, 
whose  claims  Mr.  Allen  considers  paramount.     They 


f 


\ 


TETLOW'S  REPLY  TO  ALLEN'S  "QUERY."        197 

will  find,  moreover,  that  its  authors,  in  establishing 
it,  were  doing  precisely  what  the  reformers  of  the 
present  day  are  criticised  for  doing,  viz.,  trying  to 
'  get  rid  of  the  frightful  mass  of  barbarisms  which  the 
preceding  centuries  had  accumulated.'    But,  as  Mun- 
ro  remarks,  '  the  Lachmanns  and  Ritschls  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  have  a  better  right  to  dictate  to  us  in 
the  present  day  what  shall  be  accepted  as  "conven- 
tional,"  than  the  Poggios  and  Vallas  of  the  fifteenth.' 
Those  teachers,  on  the  other  hand,  who  have  thought 
it  worth  their  while  to  give  a  little  attention  to  the 
*  beggarly  elements  of  antiquarianism  and  scientific 
philology'  will,  probably,  continue  to  think —Mr. 
Allen's  'Query'  to  the  contrary,  notwithstanding— 
that  as  'Latin  orthography  touches  in  a  thousand 
points  the  history,  grammar,  and  pronunciation  of 
the  language,'  it  *  is  a  most  interesting  and  valuable 

study  to  those  who  care  to  examine  it.' 

"J.  Tetlow. 

"  Girls*  Latin  School,  Boston,  January  10,  1881." 

MR.  ALLEN'S   REPLY    TO   PROFESSOR   TETLOW. 
"THE  QUERIST  RETURNS  TO  THE  CHARGE." 

375.  *'  I  am  delighted  that  my  friend  Mr.  Tetlow, 
to  whose  skill,  patience,  and  good-humor  I  have  been 
largely  indebted  this  year  past,  gives  me  the  oppor- 
tunity of  returning  to  the  charge  suggested  in  my 
'  Query '  of  a  few  weeks  back.  It  is  pleasant,  in  a  dis- 
cussion of  this  sort,  to  have  to  do  with  one  who  treats 
his  respondent  as  a  gentleman.  I  have  painful  recol- 
lections of  an  attack,  a  few  years  ago,  which  showed 
jny  assailant  in  a  very  different  light.    And,  in  this 


I 


198       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

case,  I  may  keep  in  mind  that  I  have  invited  the  criti- 
cism myself.  Besides,  Mr.  Tetlow  has  remembered 
that  I  am  ah  older  soldier  in  this  campaign  than  he — 
*  I  said  an  older  soldier,  not  abetter ' ;  and  I  am  not  the 
one  to  forget  that  the  weapons  of  my  warfare  may 
look  a  little  rusty,  compared  with  the  exceedingly 
keen  and  polished  brand-new  *  arms  of  precision '  that 
now  glitter  in  the  field. 

"  One  other  thing.  I  congratulate  myself  that  I 
put  my  case  modestly  as  a  *  Query,'  and  not,  as  I  first 
thought  of  doing,  as  a  *  Growl.'  I  was  moved  to  put 
it  by  a  conversation  I  had  just  had  with  a  teacher  of 
much  experience,  who  complained  that  the  time  of 
beginners  seemed  to  be  pretty  much  all  spent  in  ac- 
quiring certain  niceties  of  *  Roman '  pronunciation — 
perfectly  worthless,  in  my  opinion,  even  if  they  could 
bo  acquired  perfectly.  I  am  glad  to  have  drawn  out 
a  reply,  which  shows  that  the  same  thing  can  be  dono 
intelligently,  and  possibly  to  some  advantage.  The 
advantage,  I  claim,  is  just  what  it  is  stated  to  be  in 
my  former  communication — a  real  help  in  learning 
the  *  word-building '  of  the  Latin  tongue.  I  am  glad, 
also,  to  learn  that  Professor  Lane  discards,  as  I  do, 
the  misleading  term,  *  Eoman.'  I  may  have  had  it  of 
him  at  second-hand,  and  he  may  have  used  it  as  a 
joke,  for  all  that  I  can  testify.  At  any  rate,  it  was 
quickly  caught  up  and  adopted ;  and,  at  any  rate,  I 
have  been  anxious  to  make  the  right  term, '  phonetic,* 
familiar  instead. 

876.  "  Now  I  am  not  going  to  dispute  with  Mr. 
Tetlow  the  ground  of  which  he  is  so  excellent  a  mas- 
ter. All  his  points  I  am  disposed  to  concede  before- 
hand.    That  is,  for  all  I  care.     I  don't,  however,  be- 


U 


II 


M 


M 


.1 


ALLEN'S  REPLY  TO  TETLOW. 


199 


lieve,  for  one  thing,  that  the  Soman  'v'  (consonant 
' « ')  was  the  English  w,  or  anything  much  like  it : 
it  may  have  been  near  the  old-fashioned  German  «d, 
which  has  slid  naturally  into  v,  just  as  the  Latin  did. 
And  I  think  we  can  not  do  better  than  let  it  stay  so. 

377    "  Again,  the  ancients  may  have  written  com- 
cere  and  arbitri,  for  all  I  know  or  care-pst  as  Mil- 
ton wrote  '  suttle  theefe.'   What  I  say  is  that  we  haye 
sufficient  authority  for  writing  the  form  which  is 
more  distinctive  and  intelligible  to  our  eye.  and  had 
better  keep  it.     It  is  perfectly  easy  to  explam  rmce 
(which  occurs  once  in  Virgil,  and  I  beheve  nowhere 
else),  when  you  come  to  it.     As  to  the  authority  of 
stone-cutters,  on  the  ancient  monuments,  I  will  say 
that  I  myself  once  stopped  a  monument-cutter,  who 
was  just  going  to  give  the  authority  of  Mount  Auburn 
lor  '  Christain.'    As  to  the  confusion  of  conicere  with 
icere,  'to  hit,'  the  point  is  Gellius's,  not  mine.    That 
the  form  conico  is  unknown,  is  not  to  the  pomt.    We 
teach  our  pupils,  or  ought  to  teach  them,  to  under- 
stend  such  words,  not  by  the  lexicon,  but  hy  laws  of 
composition.    When  I  was  a  freshman  in  college,  I 
used  a  compound  in  a  Greek  exercise  which  I  knew 
was  right,  though  no  lexicon  would  justify  it    I  had 
to  wait  tiU  a  better  lexicon  came  out,  and  then  1 
found  the  word.    Now  I  say  that  conicere  is  a  bbnd 
or  a  foil,  preventing  (so  far  as  it  goes)  the  easy  n^  of 
the  true  method  of  reading  Latin.    As  to  the  double 
i,  it  occurs  twice  in  Virgil,  and  is,  I  believe,  the  con- 
stant usage  in  Ovid.    That  is  good  usage,  and  early 
enough_authontytomMor^j^^ 

"     •  On  some  Christian  monuments  it  is  represented  in  the  Greek 
by  o»  and  3  in  the  same  inscription,  or  group  of  inscnptions. 


198        THE  TnilEE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

case,  I  may  keep  in  mind  that  I  have  inyited  the  criti- 
cism myself.  Besides,  Mr.  Tetlow  has  remembered 
that  I  am  ail  older  soldier  in  this  campaign  than  he — 
*  I  said  an  older  soldier,  not  a  better' ;  and  I  am  not  the 
one  to  forget  that  the  weapons  of  my  warfare  may 
look  a  little  rusty,  compared  with  the  exceedingly 
keen  and  polished  brand-new  *  arms  of  precision '  that 
now  glitter  in  the  field. 

"  One  other  thing.  I  congratulate  myself  that  I 
put  my  case  modestly  as  a  *  Query,'  and  not,  as  I  first 
thought  of  doing,  as  a  'Growl.'  I  was  moved  to  put 
it  by  a  conversation  I  had  just  had  with  a  teacher  of 
much  experience,  who  complained  that  the  time  of 
beginners  seemed  to  be  pretty  much  all  spent  in  ac- 
quiring certain  niceties  of  *  Roman '  pronunciation — 
perfectly  worthless,  in  my  opinion,  even  if  they  could 
bo  acquired  perfectly.  I  am  glad  to  have  drawn  out 
a  reply,  which  shows  that  the  same  thing  can  be  dono 
intelligently,  and  possibly  to  some  advantage.  The 
advantage,  I  claim,  is  just  what  it  is  stated  to  be  in 
my  former  communication — a  real  help  in  learning 
the  '  word-building '  of  the  Latin  tongue.  I  am  glad, 
also,  to  learn  that  Professor  Lane  discards,  as  I  do, 
the  misleading  term,  '  Roman.'  I  may  have  had  it  of 
him  at  second-hand,  and  he  may  have  used  it  as  a 
joke,  for  all  that  I  can  testify.  At  any  rate,  it  was 
quickly  caught  up  and  adopted ;  and,  at  any  rate,  I 
have  been  anxious  to  make  the  right  term,  *  phonetic,* 
familiar  instead. 

376.  "Now  I  am  not  going  to  dispute  with  Mr. 
Tetlow  the  ground  of  which  he  is  so  excellent  a  mas- 
ter. All  his  points  I  am  disposed  to  concede  before- 
hand.    That  is,  for  all  I  care.     I  don't,  however,  be- 


ALLEN'S  KEPLY  TO  TETLOW. 


199 


•( 


! 


« 


.1 


lieye,  for  one  thing,  that  the  Eomau  'v'  (consonant 
* « ')  was  the  English  w,  or  anything  much  like  it : 
it  may  have  been  near  the  old-fashioned  German  w, 
which  has  slid  naturally  into  v,  just  as  the  Latin  did. 
And  I  think  we  can  not  do  better  than  let  it  stay  so. 

377    "  Again,  the  ancients  may  have  written  cont- 
eere  and  arUtri,  for  all  I  know  or  care-just  as  Mil- 
ton wrote  '  suttle  theefe.'   What  I  say  is  that  we  have 
sufficient  authority  for  writing  the  form  which  is 
more  distinctive  and  intelligible  to  our  eye,  and  had 
better  keep  it.     It  is  perfectly  easy  to  explain  reice 
(which  occurs  once  in  Virgil,  and  I  believe  nowhere 
else),  when  you  come  to  it    As  to  the  authority  of 
stone-cutters,  on  the  ancient  monuments,  I  will  say 
that  I  myself  once  stopped  a  monument-cutter,  who 
was  just  going  to  give  the  authority  of  Mount  Auburn 
for  '  Christain.'    As  to  the  confusion  of  comcere  with 
icere,  'to  hit,'  the  point  is  Gellius's,  not  mine.    That 
the  form  conico  is  unknown,  is  not  to  the  pomt.    We 
teach  our  pupQs,  or  ought  to  teach  them,  to  under- 
stand such  words,  not  by  the  lexicon,  but  by  laws  of 
composition.    When  I  was  a  freshman  in  college,  I 
used  a  compound  in  a  Greek  exercise  which  I  hr^w 
was  right,  though  no  lexicon  would  justify  it    I  had 
to  wait  tiU  a  better  lexicon  came  out,  and  then  1 
found  the  word.    Now  I  say  that  comcere  is  a  bhnd 
or  a  foil,  preventing  (so  far  as  it  goes)  the  easy  use  of 
the  true  method  of  reading  Latin.    As  to  the  double 
i,  it  occurs  twice  in  Virgil,  and  is,  I  believe,  the  con- 
stant usage  in  Ovid.    That  is  good  ^fage,  and  e^ly 
enough  authority  to  me,  for  a  form  which  has  mani- 

■     •  On  some  Christian  monuments  it  is  represented  in  the  Greek 
by  o»  and  e  in  the  same  inscription,  or  group  of  inscnptionfl. 


I 


200       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

fest  common-sense  to  back  it  When  I  said  that 
Cicero  very  likely  wrote  the  i  long,  of  course  I  meant 
long  in  dimension,  not  in  quantity  ;  when  he  spoke 
it,  he  did  not  need  to,  I  spoke  of  distinctions  to  the 
eye.  As  to  what  I  said  of  variations  among  modem 
critical  editions,  I  can  not  go  into  detail  to  prove  it. 
If  Mr.  Tetlow  will  take  the  trouble  to  compare  Nip- 
perdey's  'Caesar,'  Ribbeck's  'Virgil,'  and  Baiter  and 
Kayser's  '  Cicero,'  he  will  see  sufficiently  what  I  mean. 
Cooper's  '  Virgil '  I  suppose  to  be  an  unscholarly  book ; 
but  this  certainly  can  not  be  said  of  Lemaire's  splen- 
did *  Bibliotheca,'  which  has  several  of  the  tyi)ograph- 
ical  helps  I  covet.  Mr.  Tetlow  may  quote  my  prac- 
tice against  my  theory.  No  matter.  Books  are  made, 
among  other  reasons,  to  sell.  I  may  have  all  sorts  of 
objections  to  a  stove-pipe  hat,  and  still  submit  to  wear 
it  because  it  is  the  fashion.  The  more  I  have  to  wear 
what  I  don't  like,  the  better  right  I  have  to  grumble. 
"  The  difference  between  Mr.  Tetlow  and  myself 
is  not  a  difference  of  fact,  hardly  a  difference  of  prin- 
ciple ;  but  a  difference  in  point  of  view.  lie  writes 
(or  thinks)  in  the  class-room,  I  in  the  library  or 
study.  The  question  as  it  lies  in  his  mind  is,  how  to 
teach  the  facts  of  the  language  in  what  we  may  call 
a  correct  antiquarian  form.  The  question  as  it  lies 
in  my  mind  is,  how  to  use,  most  easily  and  familiarly, 
the  literary  treasures  and  historical  monuments  which 
exist  for  us  in  the  Latin  tongue.  I  do  not,  for  exam- 
ple, wish  that  we  should  train  in  our  schools  a  set  of 
little  prigs,  whose  first  thought  on  seeing  *  conjicere  * 
and  '  arbitrii,'  or  even  ' ccelum,'  or '  concio,'  or  '  quum,* 
or  'causa,'  would  be  that  this  is  an  illiterate  or  dis- 
carded form  ;  but  that  the  word  shall  convey  its  mean- 


ALLEN'S  REPLY  TO  TETLOW. 


201 


|l 


ing  to  them  in  the  directcst  and  simplest  way.  These 
are  forms  likely  to  occur  in  nine  tenths  of  the  Latin 
books  they  are  likely  to  read— if  they  should  keep  up 
their  use  and  knowledge  of  Latin.  They  can  not  be 
weeded  out  in  the  books  that  are  already  printed ; 
and  several  of  them,  to  those  who  read  those  books, 
are  a  definite  help  to   the   easy  understanding  of 

them.  ,     . 

"  Now,  there  is  a  great  deal  that  I  admire  m  the 
improved  methods  of  teaching  Latin.     The  sugges- 
tions that  have  come  to  me  in  the  last  ten  years,  and 
which  I  have  tried  in  elementary  classes  myself,  would, 
I  am  sure,  have  been  a  great  relief  and  comfort  to  me 
when  I  was  groping  about  among  those  same  'beg- 
garly elements '  myself.    I  have  no  quarrel  at  all  with 
any  attainable  accuracy  and  nicety  in  the  merest  anti- 
quarianisms  of  orthography  and  orthoepy,  if  they  will 
only  take  their  place  in  due  subordination,  and  not  be 
drilled  or  harped  on  as  if  they  were  the  Gospel  and 
the  Ten  Commandments  of  classic  learning.     And  I 
may  add,  that  letters  I  have  had— in  scores,  I  was 
going  to  say— from  all  parts  of  the  country,  as  to  the 
pettiest  points  of  pronunciation,  have  satisfied  me 
that— whether  in  the  Girls'  Latin  School  or  not,  at 
any  rate  in  a  good  many  other  schools— a  most  inor- 
dinate stress  has  been  laid  upon  these  quiddles. 

"  It  will  be  easiest  (if  you  will  pardon  the  egotism) 
to  explain  by  my  own  experience  how  I  came  to  take 
a  different  point  of  view  from  Mr.  Tetlow,  and  so  am 
in  imperfect  sympathy  with  some  things  that  excel- 
lent teachers  doubtless  hold  very  precious.  It  was  my 
fortune,  or  misfortune,  to  work  my  way  into  college 
as  I  could,  without  the  help  of  any  training-school 


202       THE  THREE  PROJOJNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN". 

at  all ;  without  so  much,  at  most,  as  three  months* 
schooling,  all  told,  in  the  classics  or  mathematics. 
Somehow  or  other,  I  had  at  ten  years  old  a  fair 
knowledge  of  Latin  inflections,  and  set  myself,  out  of 
mere  interest  in  the  thing,  to  read  *  Cornelius  Nepos,' 
in  an  old  edition  with  Latin  notes.  Now  and  then 
my  father,  who  was  quite  fond  of  his  classics,  would 
give  me  a  shove,  hy  reading  over  a  stiff  sentence  or 
two  ;  and  so  I  trudged  through  the  book  (except  about 
half  of  Pomponius  Atticus),  as  I  could,  and  no  doubt 
made  out  the  story  pretty  well.  Then  I  did  the  same 
thing  with  Caesar.  I  remember  perfectly  well  being 
staggered,  after  a  few  chapters,  with  the  subjunctives 
and  infinitives — for  I  had  no  theory  of  '  indirect  dis- 
course '  till  many  years  after ;  but  I  found  pretty  soon 
that  I  could  get  along  with  them  about  as  easily  as 
with  indicatives  (allowing  for  their  eccentric  appear- 
ance), and  traveled  on  quite  cheerfully  till  I  got  to 
the  *  Bridge.'  Here  I  stuck  awhile  ;  but,  finding  my- 
self presently  in  the  German  woods,  enjoyed  greatly 
Caesar's  account  of  the  wonderful  beasts  that  he  didn't 
find  there,  and  so  left  him. 

"  I  need  not  go  on  with  the  process,  which  I  fol- 
lowed up  through  the  Latin  and  Greek  then  required 
(fully  the  equivalent  of  that  required  now) ;  but  will 
only  add  that  in  the  last  six  months  before  the  en- 
trance examination  I  made  myself  as  completely  mas- 
ter as  I  could  of  the  grammars  then  in  vogue.  It  waa 
at  this  stage  of  the  process,  and  not  a  minute  before, 
that  I  should  have  been  thoroughly  glad  to  learn  the 
latest  modem  improvements  in  philology.  That  I 
have  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with  Latin  and  Greek 
(for  an  amateur)  since,  has  been  the  fortune,  and  to 


ALLEN'S  REPLY  TO  TETLOW. 


203 


»1 


I 


a  large  degree  the  pleasure,  of  my  life.  That  I  have 
had  as  little  difficulty  as  I  have  in  taking  these  litera- 
tures '  broadside-on,'  in  spite  of  the  lack  of  early  drill, 
I  think  is  in  great  measure  due  to  that  lack  of  early 
drill.  For  one  thing,  I  could  never  have  begun  to  do 
it,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  relief  afforded  by  my 
accented  cwm's,  quods,  quoimsy  my  digraph  m's  and  a's, 
and  my  circumflexed  ablatives  in  d.  What  do  I  care 
how  long  the  circumflex  has  been  in  this  use  ?  It  is 
a  very  good  use.  It  is  one  of  the  '  modem  improve- 
ments'  worth  having.  What  do  I  care  how  soon  a 
Dutchman  was  good  enough  to  give  us  the  letter  Jt 
I  find  the  use  of  it  every  time  I  write  my  own  name, 
and  so  does  Mr.  Tetlow. 

"  I  hope  I  have  sufficiently  explained,  if  I  have 
not  fully  justified,  the  different  point  of  view  that  I 
have  taken  from  that  of  some  of  the  best  friends  I 
have  in  the  world,  who  are  classical  teachers  after  the 
modern  method.  I  do  not  know  so  high  a  gain  to  be 
had  from  the  study  of  Latin,  or  anything  that  goes  so 
far  to  justify  it  for  a  school  study  at  all,  as  to  be  in 
some  measure  at  home  in  the  thought  and  language  of 
the  classics,  as  we  call  them.  I  am  sure  that  a  good 
school  can  very  much  shorten  and  simplify  the  pro- 
cess which  I  had  to  pick  my  way  in  after  a  fashion 
of  my  own.  If  the  'quantitative  pronunciation'  is 
really  a  help  and  a  pleasure,  I  have  not  the  least  pos- 
sible objection  ;  that  is  certainly  one  way  of  getting 
into  the  spirit  of  the  tongue.  But,  as  I  said  before, 
there  are  something  like  half  a  niillion  of  us  whose 
feelings  ought  to  be  respected  in  the  current  pronun- 
ciation of  vice  versd  and  eplurihus  unum.  We  ought 
to  concede,  on  both  sides,  that  in  such  things  it  is 


/ 

/ 

204       THE  THREE  PRONUXCUTlOXS  OF  LATIN. 

not  a  question  of  'right'  and  'wrong/  but  of  good 
sense  and  propriety  in  dealing  with  an  established 
usage.  Unless  we  are  going  to  make  a  bonfire  of  our 
libraries,  and  print  all  our  Latin  books  over  again  in 
the  '  improved '  spelling,  which  is  so  much  harder  to 
read,  it  seems  to  me  best  to  quiddle  with  these  petti- 
foggeries as  little  as  we  can,  and  go  for  the  practical 
uses  of  our  learning.  J.  H.  Allen. 

"  P-  S. — I  was  much  pleased,  as  you  may  suppose, 
to  find  nearly  all  my  points  made,  a  good  deal  better 
than  I  thought  of  doing,  by  Professor  Goldwin  Smith, 
the  scholarly  and  able  editor  (as  I  understand)  of  that 
capital  chronicle,  *  The  Bystander,'  of  Toronto." 

879.  We  shall  attempt  no  synopsis  of  these  arti- 
cles. Note  these  points  :  1.  Mr.  Allen  is  an  accurate 
scholar  and  an  author  of  high  standing  in  both  Eu- 
rope  and  America,  and  the  first  to  employ  the  phrase 
"Roman  method."  2.  He  expresses  his  skepticism 
touching  the  so-called  Roman  mode  in  unequivocal 
language,  and  frankly  says  that  he  doubts  whether  we 
are  likely  to  come  any  nearer  the  true  ancient  mode 
"  than  what  would  make  our  reading  of  Latin  a  bar- 
barous and  painful  travesty  to  a  Roman  ear — some- 
thing like  the  average  grammar-school  French  to  a 
Parisian."  3.  These  discussions,  from  scholars  who 
have  been  classed  on  the  same  side,  fix  vivid  and,  we 
may  say,  painful  attention  on  the  differences  of  opin- 
ion existing  to  this  hour  in  regard  to  the  so-called 
Latin  method.  4.  Professor  Tetlow's  anxiety  in  the 
matter  shows  that  we  have  not  overestimated  Mr. 
Allen's  influence. 


% 


i 


i 


LETTERS  AND  REVIEWS. 


205 


i 


380.  "  Universitt  ot  the  State  of  Missouri, 

Ck>LUMBiA,  Missouri,  April  13^  1878. 

"  Professor  Fisher  :  My  dear  Sir — I  have  read 
your  pamphlet  (first  edition)  on  Latin  pronunciation, 
which  you  were  kind  enough  to  hand  me  a  few  days 
since,  and  feel  constrained  to  make  a  formal  and 
explicit  acknowledgment  of  my  obligations  to  you 

for  it. 

381.  "The  so-called  Roman  method  has  been  in- 
vented or  discovered,  and  I  have  not  exactly  known 
which,  since  my  academic  undergraduate  days,  where- 
in it  was  my  for^ne  to  be  pretty  thoroughly  drilled 
in  the  English  method  of  Andrews  and  Stoddard's 
grammar  and  course.     My  attention  has  been  drawn 
to  it  at  different  times,  but  mine  has  been  the  humble 
position  of  awaiting  results  with  a  mind  willing  to 
accept  whatever  was  sustained  by  the  best  evidence 
adduced  by  specialists.     A  distinguished  gentleman 
of  my  acquaintance  was  once  asked  by  the  advocates 
of  the  Harmonial  Philosophy  of  the  Andrew  Jackson 
Davis  school,  to  aid  them  in  settling  their  system,  as 
he  had  had  occasion  to  point  out  some  very  serious 
objections  to  it.     He  answered  them,  that  he  had  not 
time  for  that,  but  that,  if  they  would  fix  it  up  and 
bring  it  to  him,  he  would  tell  them  what  he  thought 
of  it.     It  seems  to  me  that  you  have  given  such  a 
fair,  concise,  and  complete  exhibit  of  the  case  by  way 
of  statement,  explanation,  refutation,  and  argument, 
that  even  a  layman  may  venture  to  arise  from  the 
perusal  of  your  pamphlet  with  a  pretty  decided,  be- 
cause intelligent,  opinion  that  the  pretensions  of  the 
novel  method  *  rest  on  an  unsettled  and  inadequate 
foundation'  (p.  11),  and  still  further  and  positively. 


f 


206       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

as  you  express  it  on  page  23,  that  '  for  English-speak- 
ing people  the  English  pronunciation  is  the  best.' 

382.  **  The  general  discussion  of  this  yexed  ques- 
tion, as  some  have  chosen  to  call  it,  is  plainly  in  the 
interest  of  clean  and  accurate  scholarship.  It  has 
been  the  vice  of  too  many  of  our  schools  to  train 
their  Latin  pupils  in  no  method  of  pronunciation 
whatever,  whereas  it  is,  doubtless,  better  to  teach 
them  even  the  least  accredited  method,  which  is  the 
Boman,  than  none  at  all. 

383.  "  I  will  venture  to  express  the  opinion  that 
professors  are  not  at  liberty  to  tei^h  their  unrecog- 
nized individualisms  as  part  of  a  system.  Those 
youths  are  exceedingly  unfortunate  who  are  made  the 
subjects  of  class-room  experimentation,  in  the  inter* 
est  of  empirical  novelties.  Individual  opinions  are 
not  properly  taught  as  a  part  of  science ;  for  when 
they  become  a  part  of  science  by  virtue  of  the  recog- 
nition of  the  great  body  of  specialists  or  experts,  then 
they  cease  to  be  individualisms.  The  classics  are  en- 
titled to  equal  protection  against  empiricists.  Is  it 
not  true  that  the  indeterminate  and  tentative  element 
is  in  the  so-called  Roman,  in  excess  of  every  other 
method  ?    This  is  fatal  to  a  preference  for  it. 

384.  *'A  man  may  with  amiability  acquire  the 
novel  nomenclature  of  the  new  chemistry,  but  it  is 
difBcult  to  recover  from  the  impression  that  Keer- 
koom-yah-hay-o  may  be  the  war-whoop  of  the  Modoc 
Indians,  as  Shack-Nasty-Jim  or  some  other  savage 
leads  them  forth  from  their  lava-beds,  and  to  settle 
down  composedly  in  the  acceptance  of  this  as  the 
resurrected  and  veritable  pronunciation  in  English 
which,  though  hitherto  undiscovered,  has  all  the  while 


LETTERS  AND  REVIEWS. 


207 


U 


lain  close  around  the  plain  and  harmless  Latin  word 
circumjaceo,  pages  24,  26,  27.     But  my  sheet  is  full. 
''  Very  truly,  S.  S.  Laws." 

Of  the  many  reviews  of  the  second  edition,  we 
give  only  the  following  : 

385.  *'The  Three  Pronunciations  of  Latin. 
By  Professor  Fisher,  of  the  University  of  the  State  of 
Missouri.  New  England  Publishing  Company,  1879. 
Second  edition. 

"  Professor  Fisher's  book  is  both  timely  and  valu- 
able, and  is  an  important  contribution  to  the  current 
discussion  of  Latin  pronunciation.  It  presents  in 
compact  form  the  arguments  against  the  so-called 
Roman  method  of  pronunciation,  and  those  in  favor 
of  the  English.  The  issue  of  a  second  edition  shows 
the  general  interest  in  the  subject.  Every  practical 
discussion,  at  the  present  time,  of  the  pronunciation 
of  Latin  has  to  deal  with  two  questions  :  first,  has  the 
true  pronunciation  been  discovered  ?  or,  second,  is  it 
desirable  for  the  English-speaking  people  to  change 
from  the  English  method  ?  Both  of  these  questions 
Professor  Fisher  answers  in  the  negative,  and  in  our 
judgment  satisfactorily. 

"The  true  Roman  pronunciation  was  confessedly 
lost.  As  Mr.  Roby,  the  ablest  defender  of  the  *  re- 
formed '  system,  says,  it  *  has  not  been  uttered  by  any 
accredited  representative  within  the  last  seventeen 
hundred  years.*  Every  one  who  has  taught  or  studied 
a  foreign  language,  or  ever  paid  careful  attention  to 
his  own,  knows  how  difficult  it^is  to  gain  a  correct 
pronunciation.  Even  with  a  teacher,  what  almost 
endless  repetitions  are  needed  to  impress  upon  a  learn- 


i 


208       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIK. 

er's  ear  a  strange  sound  or  intonation  I  The  only  pos- 
sible way  of  acquiring  an  accurate  pronunciation  is 
by  constant  communication  with  those  who  naturally 
employ  it. 

*'  But  a  second  difficulty  of  learning  pronuncia- 
tion from  books  is  in  the  books  themselves.  It  is 
impossible  accurately  to  describe  sounds.  The  appli- 
cation of  this  to  the  'Roman'  method  is  plain.  If 
there  is  such  difficulty  in  pronouncing  a  foreign  yet 
living  language,  how  much  greater  will  be  the  diffi- 
culty of  pronouncing  one  of  which  the  sounds,  for 
'  seventeen  hundred  years,'  have  fallen  from  no  hu- 
man tongue  I 

"  To  the  difficulty  of  reviving  the  ancient  pronun- 
ciation of  Latin  from  books  is  added  the  second, 
which  Professor  Fisher  strongly  urges,  that  there  are 
no  books.  There  is  no  extant  Roman  manual  of  pro- 
nunciation. The  other  bases  of  support  are  the  com- 
parison of  the  liatin  with  the  Greek,  and  the  '  tradi- 
tions of  scholars  and  the  modem  Romanic  languages.' 
But  we  must  remember  that  the  old  Greek  pronuncia- 
tion is  lost. 

"  The  third  point  made  against  the  new  method 
is  the  disagreement  of  its  defenders.  They  claim  to 
have  discovered  the  old  pronunciation,  a  true  pho- 
netic system,  but  when  we  examine  the  claim  we  find 
that  not  only  do  many  of  them  introduce  a  sound 
which  many  of  the  Continental  nations  of  Europe  can 
not  make,  but  there  are  many  important  variations 
in  their  explanations.  This  disagreement  among  the 
advocates  of  the  new  system  is  so  far  from  being 
strange,  considering  the  data  upon  which  they  pro- 
ceed, that  it  would  be  strange  if  it  did  not  appear. 


LETTERS  AND  REVIEWS. 


209 


"  The  second  and  more  important  question,  of  the 
use  of  the  English  pronunciation,  we  shall  briefly 
touch  upon.  The  number  of  students  who  pursue 
philology  with  any  degree  of  persistence  is  as  noth- 
ing compared  with  the  great  number  studying  Latin. 
Those  who  do  turn  in  that  direction  can  acquire, 
with    little  difficulty,   that  pronunciation,   as   they 

need  it. 

*' Again,  the  adoption  of  the  new  system.  Pro- 
fessor Fisher  urges,  would  be   to  English-speaking 
students  a  positive  hindrance  in  the  study  of  Latin. 
Of  all  languages  the  Latin  needs  the  most  aid  to  its 
acquisition.     It  is  a  difficult  language  to  learn.     Its 
fundamental  conceptions  and  general  structure  are  so 
different  from  the  English  that  they  are  gained  only 
with  arduous  toil.    The  change  from  the  abstract  and 
picturesque  English  mode  of  thinking  to  the  straight- 
forward and  concrete  Latin  is  a  constant  stumbling- 
block  in  the  way  of  students.     The  ill-success  of  the 
prolonged  study  of  Latin  in  our  schools  and  colleges, 
in  giving  command  of  the  language,  when  compared 
with  the  results  of  other  studies,   plainly  indicates 
this,  though  undoubtedly  the  failure  is  due  in  no 
small  degree  to  faulty  methods  of  instruction.     One 
thing,  however,  is  certainly  evident — that  it  will  not 
do  to  put  any  more  weight  upon  the  study  of  Latin 
than  is  absolutely  essential.    Such  a  weight  is  the  Ro- 
man pronunciation.     The  testimonies  on  this  point, 
which  Professor  Fisher  has  received  from  England, 
are  especially  pertinent.     Says  Mr.  Hornby,  of  Eton 
College,  'The  introduction  of  the  new  pronuncia- 
tion would  add  to  the  difficulties  of  the  early  stages 
in  teaching   Latin ' ;  and  Mr.  Scott,  of  St.  Peter's 


210       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 


College,  says,  *  We  have  found  the  waste  of  time  in- 
Yolved  in  correcting  mispronunciation  to  be  fatal.' 

"  But  the  injury  to  English  is  still  greater.  Every 
one  knows  that  a  large  part  of  the  words  in  common 
use  are  derivatives  from  the  Latin.  For  example,  who 
would  recognize  in  the  English  invincible  the  ecn- 
ween-kee-hee-lees  of  the  new  Roman  ?  But  more  than 
this,  the  pronunciation  of  that  great  army  of  students, 
who  take  up  the  study  of  Latin  at  the  most  formative 
period  of  life,  will  insensibly,  but  none  the  less  surely, 
be  affected  by  their  study. 

"  We  hope  that  this  book  will  be  read  by  all  who 
are  interested  in  the  pronunciation  of  Latin,  by  those 
who  have  not  time  or  opportunity  to  follow  the  mi- 
nutiae of  the  discussion  in  other  places,  and  especially 
by  those  who,  hoping  to  be  in  the  fashion,  and  think- 
ing that  strangeness  of  sound  is  an  evidence  of  scholar- 
ship, have  adopted  a  system  of  pronunciation  which 
they  have  not  dared  to  use  in  public,  and  for  which 
they  can  command  scarcely  a  single  reason."  ("  New 
York  School  Journal,  October  4,  1879.) 

The  Chicago  "  Inter-Ocean,"  after  a  lengthy  synop- 
sis of  the  work,  says  (October  4,  1879)  : 

886.  "The  Three  Pronunciations  of  Latin. 
— Formerly  there  were  but  two  methods  of  pronounc- 
ing Latin  taught  and  practiced— in  the  United  States 
—the  English  and  the  so-called  Continental.  It  was 
bad  enough  to  have  the  confusion  and  discourage- 
ments incident  to  this  disagreement  among  the  in- 
structors of  our  various  preparatory  schools  and  col- 
leges. But,  since  about  the  middle  of  this  century, 
the  confusion  complained  of  has  been  worse  confound- 
ed by  the  introduction  into  about  one  third  of  Ameri- 


letters  and  reviews. 


211 


can  colleges  of  what  is  called  the  ^Eoman  method.* 
This  method  claims  to  be  nothing  less  than  the  genu- 
ine Latin  method — the  pronunciation  of  the  days  of 
Virgil  and  Cicero  restored.   The  array  of  English  and 
American  Latin  scholars  who  are  enlisted  in  support 
of  these  claims  is  really  quite  formidable.     The  Ro- 
man method  is  the  accepted  pronunciation  in  several 
of  our  strongest  colleges  and  universities.    For  a  time 
it  seemed  as  though  it  would  displace  both  the  other 
methods  in  all  of  our  best  institutions  of  learning. 
Of  late,  however,  there  is  a  strong  reaction.     The  ex- 
alted pretensions  of  the  new  method  have  been  chal- 
lenged by  many  of  the  first  scholars  of  Europe  and 
America,  and  have  met  with  a  resistance  far  more 
serious  than  any  offered  in  the  earlier  periods  of  its 
progress.    Among  the  champions  of  the  English,  and 
the  sternest,  most  effective  of  the  resistants  of  the 
Roman  method,  is  Professor  M.  M.  Fisher,  of  the 
University  of  Missouri.     His  short,  positive  treatise 
on  *  The  Pronunciations  of  Latin,'  published  by  the 
New  England  Publishing  Company,  of  Boston,  pre- 
sents the  claims  of,  and  the  objections  to,  the  Conti- 
nental and  Roman  methods,  and  defends  the  use  of 
the  English  pronunciation- with  a  scholarly  spirit  and 
ability  that  command  the  respect  of  his  opponents  and 
the  admiration  of  his  own  party. 

"  Since  this  book  was  published,  he  has  come  out 
in  answer  to  the  charge  of  the  new  '  Romans,'  that 
the  '  English '  leaders  are  defeated— that  their  stand- 
ard-bearers are  demoralized— by  referring  to  the  pres- 
ent attitude  of  Professor  Mayer,  of  Cambridge,  and 
ex-Professor  Palmer,  of  Oxford,  England, '  two  of  the 
most  renowned  leaders  in  reforming  Latin  pronuncia- 


212       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OP  LATIN. 

tion  in  the  world,'  and  repeating  the  following  letter 

from  the  latter : 

« 

"  *  Oxford,  England,  September  5, 1877. 

"  'Dear  Sir  :  I  am  ashamed  to  see  that  your  let- 
ter of  the  25th  of  June,  in  this  year,  has  been  so  long 
unanswered.  I  have  really  nothing  to  add  to  my  let- 
ter of  1876.  The  subject  of  Latin  pronunciation  has 
attracted  little  attention  in  England  during  the  past 
two  years.  The  old  or  English  method  still  reigns 
unquestioned  at  the  universities,  nor  am  I  aware  that 
the  schools  have  shown  any  increased  disposition  to 
attempt  its  reformation.  I  consider  our  enterprise  a 
coup  manque  (a  failure). 

"  *I  am,  dear  sir,  yours  very  respectfully, 

"'Edwin  Palmer, 
" '  Ex-Professor  of  Latin  in  the  University  of  Oxford. 

**  *  M.  M.  Fisher,  Professor  of  Latin,  Missouri  University,  U.  8.  A* 

"This  letter,  together  with  other  evidences  fur- 
nished, no  doubt  fully  satisfies  Professor  Fisher  that 
he  is  perfectly  justified  in  his  declarations,  in  the 
book  before  us,  that  'the  Koman  method  is  practi- 
cally dead  in  England,'  and  his  further  belief  that  a 
like  doom  awaits  it  in  this  country,  notwithstanding 
that,  according  to  the  report  of  the  Bureau  of  Educa- 
tion at  Washington,  seventy-two  out  of  two  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  colleges  named  used  the  new  pronun- 
ciation." 

The  "  New  England  Journal  of  Education,"  Bos- 
ton, the  only  journal  that  received  a  medal  at  the 
Paris  Exposition,  thus  speaks  : 

387.  "The  allusions  made  to  this  work  several 


t 


LETTERS  AND  REVIEWS. 


213 


months  ago,  and  the  references  that  have  been  made 
to  it  by  other  papers,  have  awakened  a  very  general 
interest  and  expectation  respecting  it  among  Latin 
teachers  and  students.  Its  title,  'The  Three  Pro- 
nunciations of  Latin,*  may  lead  to  the  impression 
that  its  design  is  merely  to  give  an  accurate  and  de- 
tailed statement  of  the  rules  that  govern  each  system 
of  pronunciation,  with  the  reasons  for  its  adoption, 
which  are  advanced  by  its  adherents.  But,  instead  of 
this,  we  have  in  the  work  a  most  elaborate  and  schol- 
arly argument  in  favor  of  the  retention  of  the  English 
method  of  pronunciation,  in  preference  to  either  the 
so-called  Continental  method  or  the  Roman.  In  this 
argument  the  author  will  gain  for  himself  great  credit, 
both  by  the  industry  and  patience  manifested,  and  the 
profound  learning  displayed.  The  literature  of  the 
subject  is  varied  and  extensive,  and  has  been  well 
utilized  to  serve  his  purpose.  It  is  not  very  likely 
that  many  who  have  adopted  either  of  the  new  meth- 
ods of  pronunciation  will  be  influenced  by  this  work 
to  renounce  the  new  way  and  go  back  to  the  old,  but 
will  greatly  strengthen  the  resolution  of  those  who 
have  persistently  adhered  to  the  English  method. 
They  will  be  prompted  to  say  to  their  classes,  as  Dr. 
Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  said  to  his  last  class  at  the 
Harvard  Medical  College,  '  Gentlemen,  in  using  Latin 
words,  I  shall  follow  the  old  English  method  of  pro- 
nunciation.' The  work  will  elicit  much  criticism,  and 
thereby  great  good  will  be  accomplished  in  the  more 
intelligible  views  that  will  be  gained  of  this  somewhat 
perplexing  subject.  By  far  the  larger  portion  of  the 
work  is  devoted  to  objections  to  the  Eoman  method. 
The  Continental  method  is  disposed  of  in  the  first 


I^B^ 


r 


214       THE  THREE  PRONUNaATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

sixteen  pages,  but  the  discussion  of  objections  to  the 
Boman  method  occupies  nearly  one  hundred  pages, 
while  the  positive  arguments  in  favor  of  the  English 
method  occupy  only  the  last  forty  pages.  The  length 
of  the  discussion  respecting  the  Roman  system  was 
demanded  by  the  candor  shown  in  answering  some  of 
the  arguments  which  have  been  advanced  in  favor  of 
that  system,  and  especially  those  lately  published  in 
this  paper." 


388. 


"  St.  Stephen's  College,  Annandalk,  ) 
New  York,  October  8, 1879.       ) 


"  My  dear  Sir  :  I  saw  your  book  on  the  '  Three 
Pronunciations  of  Latin'  noticed  in  a  New  York 
paper.  As  it  seemed  to  contain  some  things  which  I 
had  often  expressed,  I  sent  for  it.  I  take  the  liberty 
of  writing  to  you,  after  having  read  it,  to  express  the 
pleasure  which  it  gave  me.  I  entirely  agree  with  it. 
The  views  you  express  seem  to  me  to  be  the  right 
views,  and  those  which  must  eventually  prevail.  It 
is  a  view  which  accords  with  what  I  take  to  be  genu- 
ine common  sense.  If  we  study  Latin,  it  ought  to 
be  to  improve  our  English,  to  enable  us  to  speak  and 
write  our  language  with  more  correctness.  There  is 
a  vigor  and  strength  to  our  language,  from  which  a 
Continental  mode  of  pronunciation  must  detract,  or 
the  so-called  Roman  mode.  I  confess  that  I  have 
little  patience  with  the  latter,  for  it  has,  as  you  have 
shown,  a  very  poor  foundation  to  stand  on.  The 
Professor  of  Latin  in  this  college  wishes  me  to  say 
that  he  also  thoroughly  agrees  with  your  views,  and 
is  circulating  your  book  among  his  friends.  With 
the  hope  that  your  book  may  receive  the  circulation 


LETTERS  AND  REVIEWS. 


215 


which  I  think  it  so  well  deserves,  I  am  very  respect- 
fully yours,  R.  B.  Fairbairn. 

"  Professor  M,  M.  Fisher." 
389.         "  MiDDLCTOWN,  Connecticut,  November  SO,  1879, 

"  My  dear  Sir  :  I  am  a  total  stranger  to  you, 
but  take  the  liberty  of  a  brother  professor  to  offer  you 
my  best  thanks  for  your  capital  book  on  the  pro- 
nunciations of  Latin.  A  friend  loaned  it  to  me  a  few 
days  ago,  and  it  has  afforded  me  classical  entertain- 
ment of  the  highest  grade. 

**  My  judgment  about  the  proper  pronunciation 
of  Latin  would,  doubtless,  be  turned  off  by  some  with 
a  sneer.  I  am  an  old  man,  and  was  taught  in  the 
old-fashioned  way ;  and  so,  of  course,  our  novi  homi' 
nes  would  say  my  opinion  was  mere  prejudice.  But 
one  thing  I  am  fully  persuaded  of,  and  that  is,  that 
our  would-be  classical  reformers  will  not  only  murder 
Latin,  but  slaughter  English  into  the  bargain.  I  am 
rejoiced  that  you  maintain  your  ground  so  manfully, 
and  wish  you  all  honor  and  ample  success. 

"  With  high  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  T.  W.  CoiT, 
''  Professor  of  Church  History  in  the  Berkeley  Divin- 
ity School,  Middletown,  Connecticut, 

"  P.  S. — I  told  one  of  my  pupils,  the  other  day, 
that  if  a  pupil  were  to  insult  me  with  his  shee-ray- 
fakiahs  dialect,  I  would  drive  him  out  of  the  room, 
with  a  whip  of  small  cords,  if  I  could  lay  my  hands 
on  one.  T.  W.  Coir. 

"  To  M.  M.  Fisher,  Esq., 

"  Profeuor  of  Latin  in  the  UhiversUif  of  MiisouriJ* 


T 


216       THE  THREE  PRONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 
390.  "  Tribune  Building,  Chicago,  August  20,  1S79. 

"  Dear  Sir  :  I  desire  to  express  my  earnest  thanks 
for  the  service  you  are  rendering  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation by  withstanding  the  current  that  threatens  to 
introduce  confusion  in  the  pronunciation  of  Latin. 
The  so-called  Roman  method  meets  with  very  little 
favor  outside  of  the  colleges  and  preparatory  schools, 
and,  from  present  indications,  there  is  very  little 
probability  that  it  can  gain  general  favor,  even  with 
these  institutions.     The  inevitable  result  of  pressing 
this  method  will  be  to  introduce  such  confusion  and 
obscurity  that  ordinary  scholars  will  not  even  recog- 
nize many  of  the  most  common  Latin  words  in  their 
utterance.    In  our  Chicago  high-schools  we  have  more 
than  four  hundred  pupils  studying  Latin,  and  not 
one  in  four  of  them  will  ever  enter  college.     Shall 
the  three  hundred  be  compelled  to  learn  the  Roman 
method  ?  And  if  not,  shall  the  other  hundred  be  ever 
after  separated  from  them  as  a  special  caste  in  literary 
society  ?    You  are  entitled  to  the  thanks  of  all  classes 
for  your  candid  and  exhaustive  discussion  of  the  whole 
subject.  Yours  truly,        W.  H.  Wells. 

"  Professor  M.  M.  Fisher, 

"  University  of  Missouri^  Cotumhia^  AfistowV^ 

391.  "  Hamilton  College,  Clinton,  Oneida  County,  ) 

New  York,  November  25,  18S0.      f 

"Dear  Sir  :  Will  you  allow  me  to  thank  you  for 
the  satisfaction  which  your  '  Three  Pronunciations 
of  Latin'  has  afforded  me  ?  Such  a  work  was  sadly 
needed,  and  I  think  it  has  come  at  the  right  time. 
My  impression  is,  that  it  has  caught  the  *  Latin  Pro- 
nunciation '  on  the  down-grade,  and  has  given  it  a 


LETTERS  AND  REVIEWS. 


217 


blow  which  I  sincerely  hope  will  help  to  send  it  to 
perdition.  Macaulay  said  that  he  learned  German 
under  the  pressure  of  a  kind  of  presentiment  that 
*the  final  cause  of  his  existence,  the  end  for  which  he 
was  sent  into  this  vale  of  tears,  was  to  make  game  of 
certain  Germans.'  I  am  glad  that  you  have  found  a 
similar  mission  in  making  game  of  the  '  Roman  sys- 
tem of  pronunciation.'  Your  book  gave  me  all  the 
more  pleasure  because  I  was  myself  at  work,  in  a 
much  more  limited  way,  in  showing  the  incomplete- 
ness of  the  scheme  of  the  reformers  and  the  contra- 
dictions between  them,  at  the  time  when  I  heard  of 
and  sent  for  your  book.  So  long  as  the  guide-boards 
of  reform  all  point  in  different  directions,  sensible 
travelers  will  merely  stand  still  and  wait  for  further 
directions.  Will  you  pardon  the  length  and  freedom 
of  this  letter  ?  Though  a  stranger  to  you,  I  could 
not  refrain  from  expressing  my  interest  in  your  book, 
and  my  satisfaction  at  seeing  so  good  a  drubbing  ad- 
ministered to  the  reformers. 

**  Very  respectfully  yours, 

"A.  G.  Hopkins, 
^'Professor  of  Latin,  etc,  Hamilton  College. 
•*  Professor  M.  M.  Fisher," 

392.  *'The  enlarged  edition  of  Fisher's  'Three 
Pronunciations  of  Latin,'  recently  published,  is  a 
book  that  every  classical  scholar  will  desire  to  read. 
It  contains  a  full  and  clear  statement  of  the  different 
views  entertained  upon  this  subject,  and  ably  defends 
the  old  English  pronunciation,  which  is  still  the  pre- 
vailing method  in  the  best  classical  schools  in  this 
country.    The  book  is  published  in  an  attractive  form 

10 


I 


218       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

by  the  New  England  Publishing  Company,  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  Hiram  Orcutt, 

**  Tilden  Ladies^  Seminary,  West  Lebanon,  New 
Hampshire.^' 

393.  Relative  to  the  intimation  in  some  quarters 
that,  in  dealing  with  this  question,  I  have  acted  the 
part  of  an  advocate,  and  not  that  of  a  judge,  I  have 
this  to  say  :  This  allegation  might  be  true,  if  the  case 
of  my  opponents  has  not  been  dealt  with  fairly  and 
justly ;  or  if,  on  the  other  hand,  the  arguments  on 
the  English  side  have  been  pressed  too  strongly,  so  as 
to  make  the  weaker  appear  the  stronger  side.  But 
neither  of  these  alternatives  is  true.  The  case  has 
been  treated  judicially ;  all  sides  have  received  a 
candid  hearing,  and  the  issue  has  been  made  to  rest 
on  the  genuine  merits  of  all  concerned. 

394.  The  appearance  of  acting  the  advocate  has 
been  forced  (if  there  be  such  appearance)  by  the  note- 
worthy fact  that  the  reformers,  from  the  start,  raised 
the  black  flag,  and  gave  no  quarter  to  the  English 
ranks.  The  onset  has  been  as  merciless  as  the  swoop 
of  an  eagle  on  its  prey.  In  other  words,  the  proced- 
ure has  been  such  as  to  allow  no  case  at  all  to  Eng- 
lish Latinists.  An  examination  of  the  preceding 
pages  will  make  it  manifest,  not  only  that  there  is  a 
case,  but  that,  both  de  jure  and  de  facto,  that  case  is 
founded  on  a  rock. 

396.  That  the  case  has  been  candidly  and  fairly 
put,  and  that  the  position  occupied  by  the  English  is 
invincible,  may  be  seen  from  the  reviews  and  opinions 
of  teachers  and  scholars  of  great  learning  in  all  parts 
of  our  country.    Some  of  these  have  just  been  given. 


CONCLUSION. 


CONCLUSION. 


219 


In  closing  this  work,  there  are  several  points  to 
which  careful  attention  is  asked  : 

396.  1.  We  do  not  know  the  true  ancient  pronun- 
ciation of  the  Romans.  This  becomes  perfectly  ob- 
vious by  reading  the  opinions  of  Roman  Latinists,  as 
given  in  Chapter  VI. 

2.  It  does  not  seem  desirable  to  adopt  a  system 
which  is  largely  conventional,  and  in  which  the  want 
of  harmony  is  so  great  that  it  casts  a  shadow  over  the 
evidence  on  which  the  method  reposes,  and  makes 
uniformity  in  the  class-room  impossible.     In  other 
words,  the  system,  as  now  offered  to  American  schol- 
ars (and  it  is  used  nowhere  else),  is,  to  a  considerable 
extent,  to  say  the  very  least,  conventional ;  and,  in 
this  respect,  does  not  differ  from  the  English,  and 
the  many  phases  of  the  so-called  Continental.     If  the 
so-called  Roman  is  not  the  true  ancient  mode— it  it 
is,  as  now  presented  to  scholars,  conventional,  and  the 
result  of  compromise,  in  the  case  of  some  letters— can 
it  consistently  demand  recognition  at  the  hands  of 
Latin  instructors?    Are  we  justifiable  in  using  a 
mode  that  may  be  but  a  mockery  of  ancient  speech  ? 

397.  3.  No  one  claims  that  the  English  is  the  an- 
cient pronunciation  of  Latin.  Such  a  claim  would 
be  absurd.  The  position  taken  is  this :  Even  if  the 
so-called  Roman  were  the  true  ancient  mode,  instead 
of  being  conventional,  even  then  the  belief  is  honestly 
entertained  that  the  Old  English  is  the  best  for  Eng- 

lish-speaking  people.  .  ^  „  , 

398.  4.  We  have  been  called  "obstructionists  by 
some  who  favor  the  so-caUed  Latin  mode.     If  the 


k 


I 


220       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

meaning  is,  that  the  English  mode  has  obstructed 
English  scholarship,  then  we  enter  an  emphatic  de- 
murrer. What  has  been  done  Ify  the  English  tongue, 
and  in  the  English  tongue,  in  the  past  three  hundred 
years  ?  Look  at  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  which  have 
stood,  like  twin  ^eaks  of  the  English  Parnassus,  for 
nearly  a  thousand  years,  and  have  girdled  the  earth 
with  the  strength,  beauty,  glory,  and  power  of  the 
English  language.  Look,  too,  at  fiugby,  Eton,  Har- 
row, St.  Peter's,  and  Shrewsbury— grand  old  training- 
schools  for  the  giants  !  Let  it  not  be  forgotten  either 
that  the  glory  of  Harvard  and  Yale  was  won  when  the 
English  prevailed,  and  before  Greek,  in  the  estimation 
of  some  of  our  scholars,  became  a  "college  fetich." 

399.  If,  by  "obstructionists,"  it  be  meant  that  we 
oppose  the  advancement  of  truth,  then  again  we  enter 
modestly  a  more  decided  demurrer  still.  Whenever 
the  able  scholars  on  the  Koman  side  will  say  that  they 
have  found  the  real  pronunciation  of  the  ancient  Ro- 
mans, then,  it  may  be,  we  shall  plead  guilty  to  the 
charge.  But,  do  they  claim  to  know  the  truth— the 
whole  truth  f  Nobody  puts  forward  such  claim.  The 
"golden  age"  of  truth  in  the  phonetic  mode  is  still 
to  come  ?  Will  it  come  ?  Perhaps  so.  Until  the 
truth  is  revealed,  the  charge  of  "  obstructionist "  is 
without  foundation. 

400.  5.  The  classes  in  the  University  of  Missouri, 
before  graduation,  receive  the  most  careful  training 
in  the  so=-called  Roman  mode.  The  scheme  adopted 
is  found  in  the  first  chapter  of  this  work.  This  re- 
mark will  answer  the  question  of  those  who  desire  to 
know  the  form  of  the  phonetic  mode  which  the  writer 
gives  to  his  classes,     This  discussion  may  appear  to 


CONCLUSION. 


221 


have  been  conducted  in  a  manner  more  controversial 
than  judicial ;  and  yet  it  is  but  just  to  say  that  there 
is  not  the  least  disposition  to  ostracize  any  one  on  ac- 
count of  his  chosen  system  of  pronunciation.  Schol- 
arship does  not  depend  on  a  man's  phonetics.  The 
writer  is  quite  as  familiar  with  the  phonetic  method 
as  with  the  English.  It  is  scholarly  to  use  either  the 
English,  or  the  so-called  Continental,  or  the  so-called 
Latin. 

401.  6.  The  Episcopal  institutions,  as  might  bo 
expected,  all  use  the  English.  The  Catholic  institu- 
tions all  use  some  phase  of  the  Continental.  This 
depends  in  many  cases  on  the  nationality  of  the 

teachers. 

402.  7.  It  is  claimed  for  the  phonetic  mode  that 
it  makes  the  student  familiar  with  vowel-sounds  that 
render  much  aid  in  learning  the  modern  Romanic 
tongues,  and  also  in  comparative  philology.  But 
this  familiarity  with  vowel-sounds  can  be  quickly 
learned  by  any  student  when  occasion  demands  it, 
without  adopting  strange  sounds  for  the  whole  Latin 
language,  and,  at  the  same  time,  sacrificing  English 
scholarship.  Keep  a  pronunciation  that  enables  the 
ear  to  hear  and  the  eye  to  see  at  once  the  derivation 
of  our  words.  The  remark  as  to  the  eye  has  a  marked 
significancy,  when  the  purposes  of  the  Spelling' Reform 
Association  are  considered.  This  Association  and  the 
phonetic  mode  in  Latin  are  allies  (sections  320-324, 

328). 

403.  8.  English  Latinists  are  not  opposed  to  a  re- 
form in  our  spelling,  whenever  changes  can  be  made 
judiciously,  and  in  consistency  with  the  well-estab- 
lished claims  and  rights  of  etymology.   Careful,  slow. 


f 


222       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

» 
and  painstaking  alterations  in  our  orthography  are  one 
thing;  an  utter  revolution  is  quite  another  thing. 
All  proper  reform  in  English  orthography  can  be  ac- 
complished without  a  revolution  in  Latin  orthography 
and  Latin  pronunciation.  But,  on  this  head,  read 
the  sixth  reason  for  the  English  mode.  English  Latin- 
ists  (Oxford  and  Cambridge  included)  are  somewhat 
in  the  way  of  those  who  are  ultra  in  their  ideas  of 
the  spelling-reform. 


APPENDIX. 


PRONUNCIATION  AT  HARVARD. 


"THE  LIBERAL  EDUCATION  OF  THE  FUTURE. 

"  The  magazines  and  newspapers  have  lately  con- 
tained some  discussions  of  the  nature  and  value  of  a 
liberal  education  ;  but  no  abstract  discussion  could 
present  the  position  of  this  question  in  so  strong  a 
light  as  does  the  little  announcement  sent  out  by 
Ilarvard  College,  containing  a  list  of  the  Freshman 
studies  at  Cambridge  for  the  coming  year.  The  pre- 
scribed studies  are  the  following  :  Rhetoric  and  Eng- 
lish composition,  German  or  French,  physics,  and 
chemistry.  Twenty  years  ago,  the  bulk  of  these  (if 
not  all  of  them)  were  not  studied  at  Harvard  in  the 
first  year  of  the  course.  In  the  list  of  electives,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  first  three  studies  are  Latin, 
Greek,  and  mathematics.  It  appears,  therefore,  that 
the  studies  which  formed  the  corner-stone  of  the 
Harvard  education  of  twenty  years  since  have  become 
optional,  and  the  circular  appears  to  bear  no  other 
intf  pretation  than  that  hereafter  the  Harvard  diplo- 
ma will  not  imply  the  possession  of  any  more  Latin, 
Greek,  or  mathematics  than  is  now  required  for  en- 
trance to  the  Freshman  class.    They  are  still  required 


224       THE  THREE  PROXUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

studies  for  admission  ;  but  after  admission  they  need 
not  be  pursued  at  all.  This  is  the  most  momentous 
change  in  education  which  has  taken  place  in  recent 
years,  and  marks  the  formal  and  final  abandonment 
by  one  of  the  leading  American  universities  of  tradi- 
tions handed  down  from  father  to  son  for  four  hun- 
dred years.  President  Eliot  has  recently  contributed 
an  article  to  the  *  Century '  on  the  subject  of  liberal 
education,  in  which  he  shows  how  the  standard  has 
changed  from  period  to  period;  but  none  of  the 
changes  in  standards  which  he  mentions  are  so  seri- 
ous as  that  which  he  himself  has  introduced  ;  for 
ever  since  the  revival  of  learning  in  Western  Europe, 
and  in  this  country  since  its  settlement,  the  hall- 
mark of  a  liberal  education  has  been  in  one  sense  the 
same  ;  it  has  always  implied  a  certain  familiarity 
with  the  same  branches  of  learning.  A  man  gradu- 
ated at  Harvard  or  Yale  or  Oxford  or  Cambridge  in 
the  latter  half  of  this  century  would  undoubtedly, 
as  President  Eliot  says,  study  many  things  that  Eras- 
mus and  Bacon,  or  even  Milton  and  Gibbon,  would 
not  have  studied,  and  would  follow  new  methods  of 
study  in  the  old  branches  of  learning  ;  but  could  he 
meet  Erasmus,  or  Bacon,  or  Milton,  or  Gibbon,  he 
would  meet  them,  in  a  certain  sense,  on  common 
ground.  He  might  know  vastly  more  about  the  uni- 
verse than  they  did  ;  his  whole  conception  of  life  and 
philosophy  might  be  clearer,  but  he  would  be  able  to 
bear  with  them,  and  endure  and  even  enjoy  their 
society,  because  the  basis  of  his  training  would  have 
been  the  same.  He  would  have  conned  the  very  same 
propositions  in  some  American  Euclid  which  they 
had  bothered  over  in  the  original ;  he  would  have  the 


APPENDIX. 


225 


I, 


same  familiarity  with  Caesar's  bridge-building  on  the 
Rhine — and,  we  may  add,  the  same  want  of  familiar- 
ity with  the  great  engineering  feats  of  modern  times  ; 
he  would  know  the  same  old  stories  of  Plutarch's 
men,  and  how  the  geese  saved  the  Capitol,  and  the 
opinion  of  Pythagoras  about  wild  fowl,  and  the  fall 
of  Troy,  and  the  wanderings  of  Ulysses,  and  the 
whole  story  of  Greece  and  Rome,  and  the  mighty 
lessons  which  they  taught  the  world  ;  and  much 
more  useful  and  also  useless  knowledge.  He  would 
up  to  a  certain  point  have  spoken  the  same  language 
with  them,  had  the  same  thoughts,  looked  at  the 
world  through  the  same  eyes. 

**  Now,  if  the  changes  adopted  at  Harvard  are  to 
become  general,  it  looks  as  if  the  traditional  freema- 
sonry of  a  liberal  education  would  soon  be  a  thing  of 
the  past.  Under  this  new  system  the  diploma  granted 
by  a  college  will  not  enable  us  to  know  what  learning 
a  man  possesses.  A  Harvard  graduate  may  have  de- 
voted himself  to  Greek,  Latin,  and  mathematics  dur- 
ing most  of  his  course,  or  he  may  have  devoted  his 
time  mainly  to  the  natural  sciences,  or  to  a  melange 
of  learning  consisting  simply  of  the  optional  studies 
known  among  undergraduates  as  'soft' — i.  e.,  those 
in  which  examinations  from  one  cause  or  another  can 
be  passed  most  easily.  The  grant  of  the  diploma  by 
the  college  will  signify  not  the  possession  by  all  its 
holders  of  a  common  fund  of  knowledge  which  is 
recognized  by  the  educated  world  as  constituting  a 
liberal  education,  but  the  possession  by  each  man  of 
something  which  the  college  warrants  as  a  liberal 
education,  the  nature  of  which,  however,  is  left  inde- 
terminate and  fluctuating.     It  is  easy  to  see  that  the 


I 


226       THE  THREE  PRONUNCIATIONS  OF  LATIN. 

new  system  will  be  likely  to  prod  nee  consequences 
shocking  to  conservatives.  Mr.  C.  F.  Adams,  Jr.,  in 
his  address  on  Greek,  seemed  to  think  that  he  dis- 
posed of  the  whole  matter  by  inquiring  of  what  '  use ' 
Greek  was  to  anybody.  But  this,  if  we  are  not  mis- 
taken, is  rather  an  appeal  to  the  prejudices  of  a  very 
practical-minded  country  than  an  argument  properly 
speaking.  A  liberal  education  has  never  been  limited 
to  studies  which  can  be  shown  to  be  of  direct  utility 
to  the  wants  of  mankind.  In  fact,  the  object  of  a 
liberal  education  is  something  different  from  this. 
A  man  may  go  through  life  perfectly  well,  and  even 
make  a  large  fortune  in  dry-goods  or  stocks,  without 
knowing  what  an  isosceles  triangle  is,  or  who  Plato 
was  ;  and  it  would  be  very  diflBcult  to  show  the  *  use  * 
of  a  knowledge  of  Plato's  dogmas  as  you  can  show  the 
use  of  Kent's  *  Commentaries '  to  a  lawyer,  or  a  knowl- 
edge of  mechanics  or  chemistry  to  an  inventor.  It 
has  always  been  assumed  that  knowledge  is,  like  vir- 
tue, an  end  in  itself,  which  proves  its  value  to  its 
possessor.  If  every  branch  of  learning  were  to  be 
made  to  prove  its  utility  by  an  appeal  to  what  it 
*  does  for  a  man '  in  practical  life,  we  fear  that  little 
would  be  left  of  liberal  education.  Mr.  Adams  may 
be  quite  right  in  his  hostility  to  Greek ;  but  it  is  only 
fair  to  point  out  that  the  experiment  which  Harvard 
has  entered  upon  is  a  momentous  one,  and  involves 
the  consequence  which  we  have  endeavored  to  suggest 
here,  but  which  seems  to  have  escaped  attention  else- 
where— that  in  future  the  degree  of  the  college  which 
adopts  the  new  system  to  its  full  extent  will  indicate 
nothing  very  definite  as  to  what  its  possessor  knows. 
It  marks  and  signalizes  the  termination  of  an  ancient 


APPENDIX. 


227 


bond  of  union  among  liberally  educated  men.  Here- 
after a  liberally  educated  man  may  know  who  Solon 
was,  and  never  have  heard  of  Turgot  or  Kicardo ; 
or  he  may  be  deeply  versed  in  economical  lore,  but 
stare  if  you  allude  to  Alcibiades  or  the  Sicilian  Ex- 
pedition."—7%e  Nation,  June  26,  I884,    . 

The  quotation  just  made  calls  up  thoughts  omi- 
nous of  evil,  and  such  as  must  fill  the  mind  of  every 
lover  of  classic  learning  with  some  degree  of  sadness. 
For  nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  Harvard  has 
stood  as  a  kind  of  Mecca  of  American  scholarship,  a 
spot  to  which  eight  generations  have  turned  for  what- 
ever was  intellectually  highest  and  best  in  the  West- 
ern Continent.  Has  not  the  recent  action  of  this  re- 
nowned seat  of  learning  written  *'Ichabod"  over  its 
portals  as  far  as  the  classic  tongues  are  concerned  ? 
Is  not  this  the  logical  and  inevitable  tendency  of  re- 
cent events  ?  Hereafter  Latin  and  Greek  are  optional 
in  the  halls  where  they  have  always  been  required, 
and  where,  too,  they  have  done  much  to  make  Har- 
vard what  it  has  been  to  all  Americans. 

What  is  to  be  the  effect  on  Harvard's  scholarship  ? 
What  is  now  to  be  the  influence  of  this  oldest  of 
American  institutions  on  other  schools  as  to  the  Latin 
and  Greek  ?  Are  Latin  and  Greek  to  become  college 
fetiches  ?  We  can  hardly  entertain  any  other  thought 
than  that  this  step  will  be  well-nigh  universally  re- 
gretted. We  shall  see.  Be  the  result  what  it  may,  we 
are  concerned  here  with  the  practical  question.  What 
influence,  as  things  now  stand,  should  Harvard  have 
in  shaping  the  pronunciation  of  Latin  in  America  ? 
If  Latin  is  to  be  an  optional  study,  then  its  pro- 
fessors would  hardly  expect  to  control  the  pronun- 


228       THE  THREE  PEONUNCUTIONS  OF  LATIN. 

elation  of  those  who  may  seek  hereafter  to  enter  its 
classes. 

Why  should  fitting  schools  adopt  the  so-called 
Roman  mode  to  be  like  Harvard,  when  perhaps  the 
student  will  never  have  a  recitation  in  Latin  during 
his  whole  course  after  entering  the  university  ?    Har- 
vard's influence  in  controlling  Latin  pronunciation 
can  be  no  longer  brought  forward  by  reformers  as  a 
reason  why  others  should  use  the  new  mode.    Again, 
those  schools  that  prepare  students  for  Harvard  can 
readily  see  that  there  is  no  reason  for  changing  their 
present  mode,  no  reason  for  sacrificing  the  rich  results 
of  the  old  English  method,  no  reason  for  wasting 
time  in  preparing  students,  as  far  as  pronunciation  is 
concerned,  for  a  university  where  Latin  has  been  laid 
on  the  sheK  as  a  requirement.     The  time  has  come 
when  preparatory  schools  should  control  Harvard  in 
the  method  of  pronouncing  Latin.     They  owe  this 
to  themselves,  to  genuine  English  scholarship,  to  the 
influence  they  deservedly  have  upon  the  educational 
interests  of  our  country.     Shall  Phillips  Academy, 
crowned  with  the  rich  successes  of  a  hundred  and  six 
years,  be  expected  to  adopt  the  Roman  method  be- 
cause Harvard  does  it,  when  Harvard  has  no  Latin 
required  ?    As  in  the  past,  as  at  present,  so  we  pre- 
dict in  the  future  this  famous  school  will  cling,  **  in 
the  eternal  fitness  of  things,"  to  the  English.     So  will 
other  academies.     Whatever  achievements    Harvard 
may  make  in  the  future  (and  may  they  be  many  and 
great !),  the  august  Latin  and  Greek  of  the  past  must 
inevitably  become  but  an  imago  jocosa  in  the  halls  of 
America's  oldest  university.    The  fears  of  scholars 
to-day  are  sadly  in  this  direction. 


APPENDIX. 


229 


An  intimation  has  been  given  in  the  body  of  this 
work  that  statistics  might  be  expected  in  the  Appen- 
dix, showing  the  usage  of  the  universities  and  colleges 
in  our  country  at  the  present  moment.    Reports  from 
all  are  not  at  hand,  and  are  not  easily  obtained.    Ref- 
erence may  be  made  to  the  chapter  on  statistics,  which 
is  approximately  correct.     This  matter  of  statistics, 
however,  is  merely  incidental,  and  does  not  at  all 
touch  the  merits  of  the  question  at  issue.    Advices  to 
date  (January,  1885)  from  England  indicate  what  is 
substantially  a  universal  return  to  the  Old  English. 
But  few  of  the  schools  of  England  ever  tned  the  Ro- 
man mode.     America  is  the  only  place  where  it  has 
gained  a  footing  in  the  schools. 


TDK    END. 


D.  APPLETON  &  CO/S 
E  DU  CA  rrO  N  A  L     WORKS. 


LATIN. 

Professor  Harkness's  Series  of  Latin  Text-Books. 


ATI  Introductory  Latin  Book.     Intended  as  an  Elementary  Drill 
Book  on  the  Inflections  and  Principles  of  the  Language.     12mo 
162  pages. 
This  work  eives  a  distinct  ontline  of  the  whole  grammar,  with  exercises  in 
translation  froS  each  language  Into  the  other,  BuggeBtiors  to  the  leader  notes 
and  vocabulariefl,  and  prepares  the  way  to  both  the  reading  and  the  wnttog  of 
easy  classic  Latin. 

A  Latin  Grammar.     For  Schools  and  Colleges.     Edition  of  1874. 
12mo.    357  pages. 

A  Latin  Grammar.    For  Schools  and  Colleges.    Standard  edition  of 
1881.     12mo.     430  pages. 

This  is  a  complete,  philosophical,  and  attractive  work.  It  P^^nte  a  sys- 
tematic arrangement  of  the  great  facts  and  laws  of  the  language,  exhibiting  not 
onlS^the  grWiatical  forms  and  constructions,  but  also  tliose  vital  principles 
which  uuderlle,  control,  and  explain  them.  ^r  ♦!,-* 

The  present  edition  is  the  result  of  a  thorough  and  complete  revision  of  that 
of  1874.  To  a  large  extent  it  is  a  new  and  independent  work ;  yet  the  paradiems, 
rules  of  construction,  and  in  general  all  parts  intended  for  ^ecitotion  have  been 
only  slightly  changed  The  aim  of  the  work  in  its  present  form  is  threefold :  1. 
To  be  a  clear,  simple,  and  convenient  Elementary  Latm  Grammar^  pv»ng  the 
essentials  for  that  use  in  distinctive  type  and  in  the  form  best  adapted  to  the  end. 
2  To  be  an  adequate  and  trustworthy  Grammar  for  the  advanced  student— a 
comnlete  Grammar  of  the  Latin  language,  for  the  use  of  critical  students  of  every 
pr^  of  scholarship.  8.  To  be  a  practical  introduction  to  the  broader  fields  of 
Shilolo^^nd  rn^dSn  linguistic  research,  with  references  to  tlie  latest  and  best 
authorUles  upon  the  numerous  questions  which  arise  in  such  study. 

The  Elements  of  Latin  Grammar.  For  Schools.  12mo.  166 
pages. 

A  New  Latin  Header.  With  Exercises  in  Latin  Composition, 
intended  as  a  Companion  to  the  Author's  Latm  Grammar.  With 
References,  Suggestions,  Notes,  and  Vocabularies.    12mo.   227  pages. 

The  "New  Reader"  differs  from  the  "Render"  in  two  respects.  The  first 
parts  of  the  two  books  are  wholly  different.  'i;he  rew  has  in  this  part  alternating 
Sereises  in  translation  both  ways  from  one  lansrua-e  into  the  other,  with  num- 
beJS  references  to  the  "  Grammar"  at  every  step  Jhe  second  Part  is  subst^n- 
tiAlW  the  same  in  both  books,  except  that  nine  of  the  Latm  sections  in  the  Old 
are  wrnSvT^d  thelJ  pu2es  in  the^New  filled  with  English  to  be  translated  into 

^*^-  [SKS  HIXT  PAOK.1 


EDUCATIONAL   lFO/2Jr5.— (Continued.) 


A  Latin  Beader.  With  References,  Suggestions,  Notes,  and  Vocabo. 
lary.     12mo.     212  pages. 

A  Latin  Header.  With  Exercises  in  Latin  Composition.  12mo. 
806  pages. 

This  is  the  "Latin  Reader"  complete,  vith  which  is  bound  In  Part  First— 
fortY-nine  pages,  notes  appended— of  the  ''Practical  Intrudaction  to  Latin  Com- 
position." 

A  Practical  Introduction  to  Latin  Composition.  For  Schools 
and  Colleges.  Part  I.  Elementary  Exercises,  intended  as  a  Com- 
panion to  the  Reader.  Part  IL  Latin  Syntax.  Part  IIL  Elements 
of  Latin  Style,  with  Special  Reference  to  Idioms  and  Synonyms. 
12mo.     806  pages. 

A  simple,  progressive,  and  complete— that  is  to  say,  prcrtfca/— textbook,  and 
teaches  the  lanjruage  synthetically.  Starting  with  the  beginner  as  soon  as  he 
has  learned  a  few  grammatical  forms,  it  leads  him  etep  by  step  to  a  point  where 
lie  is  so  far  master  of  both  the  theory  and  the  practice  of  the  language  that  he  no 
loncer  needs  the  aid  of  a  special  text-book,  until  he  can  read  Ciesar,  Sallust,  and 
Cicero,  with  comparative  ease.  This  work  has  three  parts.  The  first  is  purely 
elementary,  and  is  a  companion  to  the  "  Reader."  The  second  gives  the  student 
instruction  and  practice  in  composition,  which  should  be  continued  until  he  is 
prepared  for  college.  The  third  is  intended  for  the  earlier  portion  of  a  collegiate 
course  of  study,  and  aims  to  introduce  the  btudcnt  to  a  practical  acquaintance 
with  the  elements  of  style. 

Csesar's  Commentaries  on  the  Gallic  War.  With  Notes,  Dic- 
tionary, Life  of  Caesar,  Map  of  Gaul,  Plans  of  Battles,  etc.  12mo. 
S84  pages. 

This 
ters 

ard _- 

understand  constructions  not  already  perfectly  familiar  to  him. 

Cicero's  Select  Orations.    With  Explanatory  Notes  and  a  Special 

Dictionary.     12mo.     898  pages. 

This  book  contains  ten  select  orations,  giving  specimens  of  Roman  eloquence 
In  its  variouH  departments— forensic,  senatorial,  and  Judicial.  The  orations  are 
the  four  "In  Catilinam,"  the  "Pro  Archia  Po6ta,''^"De  Imperio  Pompeii." 
•'  Pro  Marcello."  "  Pro  Ligario,"  "  Pro  Reye  Deiotaro,"  and  the  first  Philippic 
*' In  Anton ium." 

Sallust's  Catiline.  With  Explanatory  Notes  and  a  Special  Vocabu- 
lary.    12mo.     162  pages. 

This  work  follows  the  *'  Caesar,"  and  is  edited  with  the  same  rare,  jriving 
notes,  illustrations,  special  dictionary,  and  relerences  to  the  author's  "  Gram- 
mar." , 

[see  nxxt  paoe.j 


EDUCATIONAL   TTOi^JTA— (Continued.) 


Preparatory  Course  of  Latin  Prose  Authors.     Large  12mo. 
639  pages. 
This  work  presents,  in  a  single  volume,  a  course  of  wading  in  the  prose 
authors  rufflciently  extended  to  meet  the  requirements  for  admission  to  any 
Amorlain   col  eee      It  contains  four  books  of  Caesar's  "Commentaries,"  the 
^SaTiltSS"*?!  &st,  a^d  eight  of  Cicero's  oratlons-the  Jour '\  J  Cat^lUia^ 
thP  "  Pro  Archla  Pofita."  "  De  Impeno  Pompeii."      Pro  Marcello,     ana     rro 
Lilario^    The  editorial  aids  consist  of  noteS,  illustrations,  special  dictionary 
ana?fses  and  a  map  of  Gaul.    It  is  especially  convenient  as  part  of  the  shorter 
JSSrse  marked  out  above,  inasmuch  as  it,  the  "Grammar,"  and  the  "New 
RSSIr.^nSrthree  bw>kB;  provide  all  that  Is  required  in  the  course. 

A  Complete  Latin  Course  for  the  First  Year,  comprising  an 
Outline  of  Latin  Grammar  and  Progressive  Exercises  in  Reading  and 
Writing  Latin,  with  Frequent  Practice  in  Reading  at  Sight.  12mo* 
860  pages.     1883. 

This  volume  contains  a  series  of  simple  exercises  progressively  f™Pe^' "^ 
^^.-ifmed  to  lead  the  way  directly  to  connected  discourse,  together  with  numerous 
efeS  and  passage/  intended  for  practice  in  right-readina  and  compowrtan 
^^SS-  flccomSmie^bv  frequent  sujrgef  tions  to  the  learner :  also  a  Grammatical 
o5^' wTh  pWigmVof^declensiof  conjugation,  ani  all  needed  r^es  of 
VtoU^  and  stitements  of  grammatical  principles,  girm  tn  tlu  exact  form  and 
ilSf^sin  KhiSthev  occur  in  "  Harkness's  standard  Latin  Orammar:*  It  is 
?es?^d  to  ^eiVe  aVl?c^plete  hitroduciory  book  In  Latin,  no  other  grammar 

^%ra  thoroughly  practical  book,  and  brings  out,  more  clearly  than  any  other 
Introductor?  ffii  bSok  now  published,  the  latest  and  most  approved  theoncB 
and  methS  of  lliuS^^  It  will  stand  P'^eminent  In  the  pecu^^^^^^^^ 

practical  nature  of  the  drill  which  it  will  afford  upon  etymological  distlnctlon^^^ 
f  Id  the  DerDlexlng  idiomatic  forms  of  Latin  discourse,  as  well  as  the  filciUty  w  th 
tMrhitwR  enable  the  pupil  to  take  up  and  master  the  difflculties  of  Latin 
ryntox.  U  Is  in  ever^  warworthy  to  take'^its  place  In  the  unrivaled  Latin  series 
of  which  it  wiU  be  the  inUoductory  book. 

The  same  work  will  be  furnished,  when  desired,  without  the  Gram- 
matical  Outline,  under  the  following  title: 

Progressive  Exercises  in  Beading  and  Writing  Latin,  with 
Frequent  Practice  in  Reading  at  Sight,  intended  as  a  Compamon- 
Book  to  the  author»8  Latin  Grammar.     12mo. 
Both  editions  conUin  numerous  notes  and  suggestions,  and  an  adequate  Latin- 
English  and  Euglish-Lalin  Dictionary. 

The  Complete  Text  of  VergiL  With  Notes  and  the  Vergilian 
Dictionary.  By  Henry  S.  Frieze,  Professor  of  Latin  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan.     12mo.     Cloth. 

The  Aeneid  of  VergiL  With  Notes  and  Dictionary.  By  Henry  S. 
Frieze.     12mo.    Cloth.  [sbb  next  pao«.1 


EDUCATIONAL    frOi?ir>a— (Continued.) 


The  Aeneid  of  Vergil.  With  Notes.  By  n£NBT  S.  F&ieze.  12ma 
Cloth.     698  pages.     Large  type. 

The  Bucolics  and  Georgics,  and  the  First  Six  Books  of 
the  Aeneid.  With  Notes  and  Dictionary.  By  Henrt  S.  Frieze. 
12mo. 

A  Vergil ian  Dictionary.    By  Uenrt  S.  Frieze.    12mo.    229  pages. 

The  text  of  Frieze's  new  editions  of  Vergil  is  the  result  of  a  carefhl  compari- 
■on  of  the  texts  of  the  most  eminent  among  the  recent  Vergilian  critics,  especially 
those  of  Wagner,  Jahn,  Forbiger,  Radewig,  Ribbeck,  and  Coniogton.  The  refer- 
ences iu  the  Notes  are  to  the  grammars  ot  Harknees,  JMadvig,  Zumpt,  Allen  aud 
Greenough,  Bartholomew,  and  Qildersleeve. 

The  Dictionary  contains  all  words  found  In  the  Bocolics,  the  Georeics,  and 
the  Aeneid,  inclading  all  proper  names,  preserving  all  important  Taneties  of 
orthography,  and,  therefore,  convenient  for  use  with  any  edition  or  text  of  Vergil. 
It  alms  to  represent  completely  the  Vergilian  usage  of  words,  and  refers  cou- 
Btantly  to  the  text  for  ihe  illustration  of  definitions  given. 

The  Tenth  and  Twelfth  Books  of  the  Institutions  of  Quin- 
tilian.  With  Explanatory  Notes.  By  Heksy  S.  Frieze.  12mo. 
175  pages. 

M.  Tnllii  Cicoronis  Laelius  de  Amicitia.  With  English  Notes. 
By  John  K.  Lord,  Associate  Professor  of  Latin,  Dartmouth  College. 
12mo.     Ill  pages. 

The  text  adopted  for  this  work  is  that  of  Baiter  and  Kaysor,  the  edition  of 
1860.  It  has  been  carefully  compared  with  IJolm'a  revision  of  Orelll's  text,  and 
with  those  of  other  editors.  Any  changes  from  the  standard  text  have  been 
noticed  in  the  notes. 

In  preparing  the  notes,  the  aim  has  been  to  ftamish  explanations  on  points  of 
grammar,  history,  biography,  and  ancient  customs,  and,  particularly  by  transla- 
tion and  special' remark,  to  indicate  the  different  and  the  corresponding  idioms 
of  the  Latin  and  the  English,  and  thus,  through  idiomatic  Eui^Iisn,  to  assist  to  a 
better  uuderstaudiug  of  the  structure  of  the  Latin. 

Selections  from  the  Pooms  of  Ovid.  With  Notes.  By  J.  L. 
Lincoln,  LL.  D.,  Professor  of  Latin  in  Brown  University.  12mo. 
238  pages. 

This  edition  of  Ovid  was  prepared  at  the  request  of  many  teachers  of  Latin 
who  regard  the  poetry  of  Ovid  more  suitable  for  the  use  of  beginners  than  that 
of  Vergil,  an  opinion  that  governs  the  course  pursued  in  the  European  schools 
generally.  The  text  is  very  carefully  annotate,  and  references  made  to  Hartc- 
ness's  Standard  Grammar. 

Some  selections  from  the  "  Amores,"  the  "  Fa«ti,"  and  the  "  Tristia,"  have 
been  added  to  those  made  from  the  "  Metamorphoses,"  not  only  on  account  of 
the  Interesting  themes  of  which  they  treat,  but  also  for  the  sake  of  giving  the 
student  an  opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with  Latin  elegiac  verse,  of 
wiiich,  in  Latin  poetry,  Ovid  is  the  acknowledged  ma:Jter. 


With  Notes  and  Vocabulary. 


[bu  iiszt  paox.] 


EDUCATIONAL    IFO/ZiTiSl— (Continued.) 


ComeUus  Nepos.  Prepared  expressly  for  the  Use  of  Students  Learn- 
ing to  Read  at  Sight.  With  Notes,  Vocabulary,  Index  of  Proper 
Names,  and  Exercises  for  Translation  into  Latin.  Illustrated  by 
numerous  Cuts.  By  Thomas  B.  Lindsay,  Ph.  D.,  Assistant  Professor 
of  Latin  in  the  Boston  University.     12mo.     857  pages. 

Among  the  characteristic  features  of  this  new  edition  of  "  Corndius  Nepos  '^ 
Ar#.  the  followinir :  The  orthographical  accuracy  of  the  text,  the  results  oi  tne 
SJestfealions  of  Fleckeisen,  firambach,  and  others,  baying  been  kept  careftilly 
S  ^ew  ThI  notes  have  been  prepared  with  special  reference  to  tjie  trailing  of 
the  student  in  ^ht-reading,  an^  to  assist  bim  in  graspmg  the  maUi  Wea  of  the 
Sentence     The  EngU^^  exercises  make  Imme^^a^e  use  of  the  words  and 

KS^m-  of  the  text  thus  flxiuK  them  firmly  in  the  mind.    The  marking  of  the  long 
low?ls^d?he  re^^^^^^^^  to  a  c.mmon  root  are  among  the  specif 

fwTires^f  the  vocabulary.  It  is  a  valuable  supplementary  »'ead^°g;^jvj^e~ 
I^^ntrirninm  dooB  not  admit  of  its  introduction  into  the  prescribed  course. 
"^^-^^SSJudiuTN^os  "  is  o?e  of  thJ  authors  regularly  rea  J  In  the  German  Gym- 
nn.Jn  The  clearness  of  hu  style  and  the  interest  of  the  subjects  treated  by  him 
Sre  espeTuflly  adapTcd  to  engage  the  attention  of  the  student,  and  make  his  study 
of  Latin  a  pleasure  rather  than  a  task. 

Thb  Same,  for  Sight-Reading  in  Schools  and  Colleges,  with  English- 
Latin  Exercises  and  Index  of  Proper  Names.  By  Thomas  B.  Lind- 
BAT.     12mo. 

This  edition  contains  the  Text,  the  Knglish-min  Exei^ise^  J"^  *^«  ^^«*^';^; 
cal  and  Geographical  Index,  and  is  designed  to  meet  ^be  wants  of  Btudentetnai 
have  already  rekched  a  certain  proficiency  in  the  language,  and  desire  m  addition 
to  the  regular  course  to  read  a  Latin  author  at  gig/u. 

Arnold's  First  and  Second  I-atin  Book  and  Practical 
Grammar.  Revised  and  carefully  corrected,  by  J.  A.  Spencer, 
D.  D.     12mo.     369  pages. 

Arnold's  Practical  Introduction  to  Latin  Prose  Composi- 
tion. Revised  and  carefully  corrected,  by  J.  A.  Spencer,  D.  D. 
12mo.     856  pages. 

Arnold's  Cornelius  Nepos.  With  Questions  and  Answers,  and  an 
Imitative  Exercise  on  each  Chapter.  With  Notes  by  E.  A.  Johnson, 
Professor  of  Latin  in  the  University  of  New  York.  New  edition, 
enlarged,  with  a  Lexicon,  Historical  and  Geographical  Lidex,  etc. 
12mo.     360  pages. 

Germania  and  Agricola  of  Caius  ComeUus  Tacitus.  With 
Notes,  for  Colleges.  By  W.  S.  Tyler,  Professor  of  the  Greek  and 
Latin  Languages  in  Amherst  College.     12mo.     193  pages. 

[SKS  NEXT  FAGE.l 


EDVCATIONAL   lFOi?irA-(ConUnued.) 


Tyler's  Histories  of  Tacitus.  With  Notes,  for  Colleges.  12mo. 
453  pages. 

Lincoln's  Horace.  With  English  Notes,  for  the  Use  of  Schools  and 
Colleges.     12mo.    676  pages. 

Lincoln's  Livy.  Selections  from  the  First  Five  Books,  together  with 
the  Twenty-first  and  Twenty-second  Books  entire ;  with  a  Plan  of 
Rome,  a  Map  of  the  Passage  of  Hannibal,  and  English  Notes  for  the 
Use  of  Schools.  By  J.  L,  Lincoln,  Professor  of  the  Latin  Language 
and  Literature  in  Brown  University.     12mo.    329  pages. 

Sallust's  Jug^urtha  and  Catiline.  With  Notes  and  a  Vocabulary. 
By  Noble  Butler  and  Minard  Stcrgus.     12mo.     397  pages. 

Cicero's  Select  Orations.  With  Notes,  for  the  Use  of  Schools  and 
Colleges.  By  E.  A.  Johnson,  Professor  of  Latin  in  the  University 
of  New  York.     12mo.    469  pages. 

Cicero  de  Officiis.  With  English  Notes,  mostly  translated  from 
Zumpt  and  Bonnell.  By  Thomas  A.  Thacher,  of  Yale  College. 
12mo.     194  pages. 

Beza's  Latin  New  Testament.     12mo.    291  pages. 

Caesar's  Commentaries  on  the  Gallic  War.  With  English  Notes, 
Critical  and  Explanatory;  a  Lexicon,  Geographical  and  Uistoricai 
Indexes,  a  Map  of  Gaul,  etc  By  Rev.  J.  A.  Spencer,  D.  D.  12mo. 
408  pages. 

auintuS'  Curtius  :  Life  and  Exploits  of  Alexander  the  Great.  Edited, 
and  illustrated  with  English  Notes,  by  William  Henry  Crosby. 
12mo.     385  pages. 

D.  APPLETON  d  CO.,  Publishera, 

NEW  YORK    BOSTON    CHICAGO    SAN   FRANCISCO. 


D.  APPLETON  &  CO/S 
EDUCATIONAL    WORKS. 

GREEK. 

Hadley's  Greek  Grammar.     Revised  and  in  part  rewritten,  by 
Professor  Frederic  D.  Allen,  Harvard  CoUege.    12mo.    423  pages. 

Hadley's  Greek  Grammar.    12mo.    866  pages. 

enongh  for  the  moet  advanced  students. 

Hadley's  Elements  of  Greek.     12mo.    246  pages. 

Harkness's  First  Greek  Book.  Comprising  an  OutUnc  of  the 
Forms  and  Inflections  of  the  Language,  a  complete  Analytical  Syntax, 
and  an  Introductory  Greek  Reader.  With  Notes  and  Vocabuknes. 
12mo.     276  pages. 

Iladfey,  Crosby,  and  Sophocles. 

Arnold's  First  Greek  Book.    On  the  Plan  of  the  First  Latin  Book. 

12mo.     297  pages. 
Arnold's  Introduction  to  Greek  Prose  Composition.    12mo. 

237  pages. 
Second  Part  to  the  Adove.    12mo.    248  pages. 
Arnold's  Greek  Beading-Book.    Containing  the  Substance  of  the 

Practical  Introduction  to  Greek  Construing,  and  a  Treatise  on  the 

Greek  Particles ;  also,  Copious  Selections  from  Greek  Authors,  with 

Critical  and  Explanatory  English  Notes  and  a  Lexicon.     12mo.    618 

pages. 
The  First  Three  Books  of  Anabasis :   with  Explanatory  Notes 

and  References  to  Hadley  and  Kuhner's  Greek  Grammars,  and  to 
.       Goodwin's  Greek  Moods  and  Tenses.     A  Copious  Greek-English 

Vocabulary,  and  Kiepert's  Map  of  the  Route  of  the  Ten  Thousand. 

By  James  R.  Boise.     12mo.    268  pages. 


EDUCATIONAL   IFOi^JTiS.— (Continued.) 

Five  Books  of  Xenophon's  Anabasis  :  with  Notes,  Grammatical 
References,  Lexicon,  and  other  Aids  to  the  Learner.  By  Jamis  JL 
BoiSK.     12mo.     430  page?. 

Xenoplion's  Anabasis:  with  Explanatory  Notes  for  the  Use  of 
Schools  and  Colleges  in  the  United  States.  By  Jamxs  R.  Boise, 
Ph.  D.  (Tiibingen),  LL.  D.,  Professor  of  Greek  in  the  University  of 
Michigan.     12mo.     893  pages. 

The  demand  for  a  conyenient  edition  of  this  preat  clasulc,  really  adapted  to 
the  wauts  of  Bchools,  haa  been  met  by  Professor  Boise  in  a  manner  that  leaves 
nothing  to  be  demred.  Decidedly  the  best  German  editions,  whether  text  or 
commentary  be  considered,  have  appeared  within  the  last  few  years ;  and  of  thes« 
Mr.  Boise  has  made  free  use ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  he  has  not  lost  sight  of  the 
fact  that  the  classical  schools  of  this  country  are  behind  those  of  Germany,  and 
that  simpler  and  more  elementary  explanations  are  therefore  often  necessary  in 
a  work  prepared  for  American  schools.  Nothing  has  been  put  in  the  notes  for 
the  sake  of  a  mere  display  of  learning,  and  nothing  has  been  introduced  by  way 
of  comment  except  what  can  be  turned  to  practical  use  by  the  reader. 

Greek  for  Beginners.  By  the  Rev.  Joseph  B.  Mayor,  M.  A.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Classical  Literature,  King's  College,  London;  formerly 
Head  Master  of  Kensington  School.  Revised,  and  edited  as  a  Com- 
panion-Book to  Hadley's  Greek  Grammar,  by  Edward  G.  Coy,  M.  A., 
Instructor  in  Phillips  Academy.     12mo.     176  pages. 

Mayor's  book  enjoys  a  large  popularity  in  England,  and  has  been  recently 
edited  and  adapted  to  American  use  by  Mr.  Coy,  the  able  instructor  of  Greek  in 
Phillips  Academy,  Andover.  It  is  edited  to  make  it  a  convenient  companion  to 
the  '♦  Greek  Grammar  "  of  Hadley.  It  has  examples  for  translation  both  ways, 
with  copious  references  to  Hadley,  notes,  and  two  vocabularies.  This  book,  like 
ilarkness's,  limits  itself  to  the  Attic  dialect ;  and  the  general  scope  of  the  two 
books  is  the  same. 

Exercises  in  Greek  Composition.  Adapted  to  the  First  Book  of 
Xcnophon*s  Anabasis.  By  James  R  BoisK,  Professor  of  Greek  in 
the  University  of  Michigan.     12mo.     186  pages. 

Ttcse  Exercises  consist  of  easy  sentences,  similar  to  those  In  the  Anabasis, 
having  the  same  words  and  construction?,  and  are  designed  by  frequent  repeti- 
tion to  make  the  learner  familiar  with  the  language  of  Xenophon.  Accordingly, 
the  chapters  and  sections  in  both  are  made  to  correspond. 

The  First  Three  Books  of  Homer's  Hiad,  according  to  the  Text 
of  Dindorf ;  with  Notes,  Critical  and  Explanatory,  and  References  to 
Hadley *s,  Crosby's,  and  Goodwin's  Greek  Grammars.  By  Hinrt 
Clark  Johnson,  A.  M.,  LL.  B.     12mo.     180  pages. 

**  In  preparing  this  edition,  it  has  been  my  aim  to  render  the  Notes  snfDciently 
elementary  to  enable  the  beginner  in  the  Epic  Dialect  to  study  with  pleasure  and 
profit ;  and,  with  this  end  in  view,  I  have  endeavored  to  point  out  and  explain 
difficulties  arising  from  the  dialect,  the  meter,  and  the  syntax,  and  to  call  atten- 
tion to  the  exact  shades  of  meaning  denoted  by  the  various  words  employed  by 
the  poet."— Jf^rom  iY^Ofs. 


EDUCATIONAL    irO/2rfir.^Continued.) 


Selections  from  Herodotus :  comprising  mwnly  such  Portions  as 
give  a  Connected  History  of  the  East,  to  the  Fall  of  Babylon  and  the 
Death  of  Cyrus  the  Great.  By  Herman  M.  Johnson,  D.  D.,  Pro- 
feasor  of  Philosophy  and  English  Literature  in  Dickinson  College. 
12mo.     185  pages. 

M  '^^'^  ^^Ta\irS,?s^tnTre^^^^^^^ 

S^i!k\'t^a?i?'rSt^nSS  to?Xr^-«  asU  in  &e  hands  of  most  students. 

The  Ionic  Dialect  of  Herodotus.    By  Herman  M.  Johnson,  D.  D. 

12mo.    Paper.     16  pages. 
Sophocles's  CEdipus  Tyrannus.     With  English  Notes  for  the  Use 

of  Students  in  Schools  and  Colleges.     By  Howard  Crosby,  A.  M., 

Pi-ofessor  of  the  Greek  Language  and  Literature  in  the  New  York 

University.     12mo.     138  pages. 

The 
maste 

l(>Am«d  criticiam  on  the  text  was  neeaea  or  uoo  uccu  a^,^.^.^y^^^•     -  "~z-~r~    ._ 
«liHon  his  been  chiefly  followed,  and  such  aid  is  rendered,  ft)  the  wav  of  notes,  as 
^'ySM^t.  SorrenderneJd^es.,  the  efforts  of  the  «tndent    Too  mucUelp^b^^^ 
indolence    too  little,  despair ;  the  author  tje  «tnven  to  P/^^^^^^^^^g^^^^^^^ 

The  Inviting  appearancfe  of  the  text  and  the  merit  of  the  commentary  ii»*« 
made  this  volume  a  favorite  wherever  it  has  been  used. 

SUber's  Progressive  liossons  in  Greek,  together  with  Notes  and 
Frequent  References  to  the  Grammars  of  Sophocles,  Hadley,  and 
Crosby  •,  also,  a  Vocabulary  aud  Epitome  of  Greek  Grammar  for  the 
Use  of  Beginners.     12mo.     '79  pages. 

Whiton's  First  Lessons  in  Greek  ;  or,  the  Beginner's  Companion- 
Book  to  Hadley's  Grammar.     12mo.     120  pages. 

Champlin's  Greek  Grammar.     12mo.    208  pages. 

Kuhner's  Greek  Grammar.    Large  12mo.    620  pages. 

Greek  Ollendorff:  Being  a  Progressive  Exhibition  of  the  Principles 
of  the  Greek  Grammar.  By  Asahel  C.  Kendrick,  Professor  of  the 
Greek  Language  and  Literature  in  the  University  of  Rochester. 
12mo.    871  pages. 

Hahn's  Greek  Testament.  Arranged  by  John  Augustus  Titt- 
MANN,  according  to  the  best  authorized  Version.  Completely  revised, 
correJ^ed,  and  annotated.  American  edition.  Edited  by  Edward 
Robinson,  S.  T.  D.     1  vol.,  12rao. 


EDUCATIONAL   WORKS,— ((Uini{ti\x^) 

Owen's  Xenophon's  Anabasis.  Bevised  edition.  With  a  beauti- 
ful Map.     12mo.    440  pages. 

Owen's  Homer's  Hiad.     12mo.    769  pages. 

Owen's  Greek  Reader.  Containing  Selections  from  Various  Au- 
thors. Adapted  to  Sophocles's,  Kuhner's,  and  Crosby's  Grammars ; 
with  Notes,  and  a  Lexicon.     12mo.     838  pages. 

Owen's  Acts  of  the  Apostles.     12mo.    276  pages. 

Owen's  Homer's  Odyssey.     12mo.    516  pages. 

Owen's  Thucydides.     12mo.    683  pages. 

Owen's  Xenophon's  CyropeBdia.     12mo.    673  pages. 

Bobbins's  Xenophon's  Memorabilia  of  Socrates.    12mo.    421 
pages. 

Smead's  Antigone  of  Sophocles.    12mo.    242  pages. 

Smead's  Philippics  of  Demosthenes.  With  Historical  Introduc- 
tions, and  Critical  and  Explanatory  Notes.     12mo. 

Tyler's  Plato's  Apology  and  Crito.    12mo.    180  pages. 

Hackett  and  Tyler's  Plutarch  on  the  Delay  of  the  Deity  In  pun- 
ishing the  Wicked.     12mo.     171  pages. 


'I 


I 


HEBREW. 

Gesenius's  Hebrew  Grammar.  Seyenteenth  edition.  With  Cor- 
rections and  Additions  by  Dr.  E.  Rodiger.  Translated  by  T.  J. 
Conant,  Professor  of  Hebrew  in  Rochester  Theological  Seminary, 
New  York.    8vo.    861  pages. 


SYRIAC. 

TJhlemann's  Syriac  Grammar.  Translated  from  the  German  by 
Enoch  Uutchinson.  With  a  Course  of  Exercises  in  Syriac  Gram- 
mar, and  a  Chrestomathy  and  Brief  Lexicon  prepared  by  the  Trans- 
lator.    8vo.     867  pages. 

D.  APPLET  ON  A  CO.,  Publishers, 

NEW  YORK,  BOSTON,  CHICAGO,  SAN   FRANCISCO. 


*l 


1 


)> 


\ 


\ 


[ 

i 

I 


i 

I 


g^9v  /S 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 


0658262 


\ 


ie;5«||||; 


Si»- 


-■t 


.4     '  '.'     ', 


■vJi^"^: 


•Vi 


:-^i. 


\J%i-'^4'  .ffff 


- '  jfe.  ji^' 


'■<■■•#»'? 


jr:\s 


ibt' 


i.  \''<*.''?" 


t^'^v^^^l^fe^-iiliS 


,"»  ■••^-'. 


_,_•'*.  ,  ■■,«%5?w^-»  ••16*''" 


-■^•s^ 


.J^  V:-  "X.T' 


'»'*. 


■■'  J,''  "*' 


Si^fer^ 


Vf 


*.* 


is; 


^§1 


:?«5R^ 


^^_; 


ii-?^' 


W-U\ 


*A*^ 


J^^' 


^r^-r^-^'i^^v 


